Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent steps they have taken to address the level of adherence to proper hand hygiene in (1) hospitals, and (2) other care settings.

NHS England’s guide Standard infection control precautions: national hand hygiene and personal protective equipment policy, specifies what standard infection control precautions, including hand hygiene, are to be adhered to by all staff in all care settings, at all times and for all patients. A copy of the guide is attached.

Implementation of and adherence to hand hygiene policy by providers of healthcare is monitored locally, regionally and nationally by standard contractual and regulatory processes. In addition, the Care Quality Commission conducts regular inspections of hospitals to confirm compliance with and adherence to current regulations, legislation and good practice recommendations.