Pinderfields Hospital chiefs 'very sorry' after claims hand sanitiser boxes ran empty

Hospital chiefs say they are looking into how a visitor found two hand sanitiser boxes empty.
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It was claimed last week that the atrium at Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield had run out of sanitiser the previous weekend.

Local Labour councillor Martyn Johnson told a scrutiny meeting that he was concerned members of the public were not able to wash their hands before going into visit relatives.

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The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals Trust, which runs Pinderfields, has apologised and said it checks on the dispensers multiple times a day.

Frequent handwashing is advised by Public Health officialsFrequent handwashing is advised by Public Health officials
Frequent handwashing is advised by Public Health officials

Frequent handwashing is strongly advised by Public Health England to help limit the spread of coronavirus.

David Melia, the trust's director of nursing, said: "Minimising the risk of the spread of infection is something we take extremely seriously, particularly in the midst of a global pandemic.

"In order to help everyone who comes into our hospital buildings to adhere to the government guidelines of hands, face, space additional hand sanitising stations have been placed throughout all our hospitals, including at the main entrance to Pinderfields Hospital.

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"This is to give everyone the opportunity to clean their hands thoroughly, adding another level of protection to both themselves and everyone else in the hospital, ultimately helping to prevent the spread of Covid-19.

Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.
Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

"All our hand sanitisers are checked regularly throughout the day and should be replenished before they have the opportunity to completely run out.

"We are therefore very sorry that a visitor to our hospital found the sanitisers in the Pinderfields atrium empty and we are looking into what happened on these days to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

"The health and safety of our patients, staff and visitors, particularly in the current climate, is extremely important."

Local Democracy Reporting Service