Good hand hygiene (washing or decontaminating hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub) is an important part of good patient care. 

Read consumer information about good hand hygiene practices (Healthy WA).

Hand Hygiene Australia (HHA) (external site) describes improving hand hygiene among healthcare workers as the single most effective intervention in reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAI) in Australian hospitals. The aim is for healthcare workers to perform hand hygiene correctly at every opportunity, for example, before and after touching a patient.

In 2008/09 the National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) (external site) was implemented to develop a national approach to improving hand hygiene and monitor its effectiveness. Although not nationally comparable, hand hygiene information helps to drive quality improvement in hospitals.

Our performance

See how we measure up on hand hygiene compliance (external site).