TRAFFORD Healthcare NHS Trust is to launch a simple but effective pledge to staff, patients and visitors: wash your hands.

On November 7, everyone at each ward and department at Trafford General, Altrincham General and Stretford Memorial Hospitals signed 'Trafford Clean Hands Pledge' forms.

Jay Turner-Gardner, in-fection control nurse specialist said: "We want to show our commitment to clean hands and its importance in controlling the spread of infections by making our pledge publicly."

The pledge is part of a national campaign, and in support of this, Trafford NHS Trust staff have been taught the correct way to decontaminate hands, hand gel dispensers have been installed next to patients' beds and many staff have bottles of hand gel attached to their uniforms.

Jay added: We hope our patients and visitors will work alongside us in keeping our hospitals as clean and free from infection as possible."