World Hand Hygiene Day at St. John’s Community Hospital, Enniscorthy

The World Health Organisation’s annual ‘World Hand Hygiene Day’ was marked this week at St. John’s Community Hospital, Enniscorthy, Co. Wexford.

The occasion was an opportunity for the HSE to highlight to all its staff, patients, residents, visitors and family members as to the importance of hand hygiene in helping prevent the spread of infection.

Evidence points to good hand hygiene as the single most important, effective and least expensive means of reducing the prevalence of healthcare associated infections and the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Highlighting ‘World Hand Hygiene Day’, the HSE Dublin and South East’s Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Nursing Team and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Team hosted a promotional stand for ‘Resist’ in St. John’s Community Hospital.

‘Resist’ is a brand for several hand hygiene and infection prevention and control initiatives under the HSE’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control (AMRIC) programme. The stand in St. John’s featured an AI hand hygiene scanner, which is an interactive tool to promote and demonstrate correct hand hygiene technique.

Opened in 2009 by the HSE as a replacement for the adjacent old St. John’s, the new Community Hospital in Enniscorthy was purpose built to provide long-term accommodation for up to 104 residents. St. John’s Community Hospital provides long-term residential care, rehabilitation, transitional care, respite and a Day Centre for older people in the local community. The residential care centre is divided into four units (the Beech, Elm, Ivy and Oak wards).

Speaking at St. John’s Community Hospital on World Hand Hygiene Day, Director of Nursing Ursula McPhilipps said:

“Cleaning your hands properly, at the correct time, when delivering care to our residents, as well as assisting them to carry out their own, is the most effective way to stop the spread of many infections. When healthcare workers like doctors, nurses and carers keep their hands clean, they help prevent the spread of serious healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). These are infections that can happen in any healthcare service.”

“St Johns Community Hospital in Enniscorthy has an excellent record in hand hygiene but we are always looking to improve our standards. The ‘Resist’ programme, which we highlighted here on World Hand Hygiene Day helps us to refresh and energise our hand hygiene approach among staff and clients. As a programme, ‘Resist’ is not just aimed at those delivering care but at everyone who comes into a healthcare facility, including clients and visitors.”

“Our message on World Hand Hygiene Day is that some infections found in healthcare facilities can be very serious. We can all help stop the spread of these infections by making sure that staff, clients and visitors clean their hands.”

For further information, see: https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/how-to-clean-your-hands/ and https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-hand-hygiene-day/2026