11 September 2023
It is as important as ever to do your part in preventing the spread of infections like norovirus and Covid-19.
When visiting friends or loved ones in hospital we want to remind you about good hand hygiene and doing all you can to help prevent the spread of infection. If you are feeling under the weather and have a cough, cold, sore throat, fever or stomach bug please wait until you are feeling better (and have been symptom-free for 48 hours) before visiting loved ones in hospital.
Sarah Horan, Director of Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals said: “When people are in hospital their bodies are already working hard to help them recover from an illness or surgery. During their recovery our patients are more susceptible to common coughs, colds and tummy bugs, which visitors can unknowingly pass on. So if you are unwell please help protect yourself and others by staying at home and not visiting relatives who are in hospital.”
Sam Whiting, Infection Control Manager for NHS Borders added: “Good hand hygiene saves lives. It is essential that everyone plays their part in preventing the spread of infections like Covid-19 and norovirus, and one of the simplest ways of doing this is regularly washing your hands.
“When visiting our hospitals, hand hygiene is very important to keep yourself and those you are visiting safe. There is hand sanitiser placed around our sites, so when you see it, please use it.”
More information on good hand hygiene can be found here: How to wash your hands - NHS (www.nhs.uk)