World Hand Hygiene Day: Action saves lives
Each year, the World Health Organization (WHO) leads a global campaign on World Hand Hygiene Day, held on 5 May, under the message: SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands.
The 2026 global theme, “Action Saves Lives,” highlights the importance of taking consistent, practical steps in infection prevention and control (IPC) as a foundation for delivering safe, high-quality care. It reminds us that hand hygiene is not a simple routine task, but a critical action that protects patients, staff, and communities from avoidable harm.
World Hand Hygiene Day visits across the Trust
Yesterday our Director and Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control, Dr Nicola Kemp (CMO) and Clare Johnstone visited sites across all five of our geographical divisions to celebrate World Hand Hygiene Day and to reinforce the importance of Hand Hygiene in every episode of care we provide to those we serve.
Dr Nicki Kemp said: "Yesterday I had the privilege of visiting all five of our divisions to mark WHO Hand Hygiene Day. The enthusiasm and commitment shown by staff across every site was remarkable. Hand hygiene is one of the most fundamental acts of safe care we can provide to our patients and seeing that understanding lived out so consistently across our Trust gives me enormous confidence in the quality and safety of the care we deliver every day."
Clare Johnstone said: “It was a real pleasure to visit services yesterday and see the WHHD 2026 theme, 'Action Saves Lives,' being brought to life through consistent hand hygiene practices. The commitment of staff, supported by the IPC team, really shines through and helps ensure safe care at every step of the patient journey.”
The IPC team also lead an all staff webinar to highlight the impact and importance of good hand hygiene.
The principles of hand hygiene
Across health and care settings, effective hand hygiene remains one of the most powerful ways to reduce healthcare-associated infections and tackle antimicrobial resistance. Yet it is often overlooked in busy clinical environments. This year’s campaign calls on all staff - from frontline clinicians to support teams - to make hand hygiene a visible and reliable part of everyday practice.
The World Health Organization’s 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene continues to provide a clear and practical framework for when to clean hands during patient care. Including these moments into everyday clinical practice helps protect both patients and staff, reducing the risk of infection transmission at critical points in care.
Click here for further information on World Hand Hygiene Day from the WHO.
