Outbreaks of infection can have a staggering cost.

Research by Imperial College London discovered that a ‘superbug’ outbreak can cost an NHS hospital one million pounds[1], with the budget being stretched across longer inpatient stays, ward decontamination and closures, extra staff time and even missed revenue from planned surgical procedures.

Preventing infection is, therefore, essential not only for the safety of patients – but also for the financial viability of your facility.

Infection prevention covers a host of different measures but investing in the right ones will help to prevent emergency expenditures and allow you to provide a greater quality of care. Better yet, there are a range of solutions that are not only highly effective, but economical too.

Even with an initial cost outlay, these can be budgeted annually and, if used correctly, save you thousands over the cost of an outbreak of infection.

Take a look at our short video below for just some of the ways you can implement infection prevention solutions.

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Hand Washing

Hand washing is a very simple – yet none the less crucial – infection control method.

Although there is a cost associated with antibacterial scrubs and rubs, this pales in comparison to the cost of providing care with dirty hands.

In reality, the biggest associated with hand washing is the time it takes; but any of us would regard this as being time well spent.

Bedpans

Good waste management in hospitals is integral to a solid infection control procedure, with bedpans being key to the task.

Waste should be removed from the patient’s point of care as quickly as possible and disposed of in the most hygienic way; usually by putting a medical pulp bedpan into a macerator, or placing a reusable bedpan in a washer disinfector.

The method which is most economical for your facility much depends on its operational requirements.

For smaller facilities, or wards where bedpans are not likely to be in demand, a one-off purchase of reusable bedpans may offer the best economy.

However, if your ward is high-dependency and bedpans need to be in quick and ample supply, having enough reusable bedpans in circulation is likely to be costly.

The best solution here is to invest in a bulk purchase of medical pulp bedpans which can be quickly and easily disposed of in a macerator. They’re far more likely to offer a reliable infection control solution than a product that must be shared between many patients in a short space of time.

By making these informed choices, infection stemming from poor bedpan hygiene can be eliminated, without costing the earth.

Air purification

Air purification units, such as the UVMATIC from DDC Dolphin, help to resolve persistent odour problems by destroying bacteria in the air and on surfaces.

Not only does this create a far more pleasant environment for everyone, but its bacteria-destroying properties prevent the spread of infection, with effective eradication of viruses such as flu, E. coli, salmonella and streptococcus.

With air purification provided by a high quality and low maintenance UV light bulb, the running costs of the unit are minimal – similar to a regular low-energy lightbulb.

Requiring minimal maintenance, UVMATIC allows for cost-effective odour and bacteria removal, with no intervention required from clinicians whatsoever.

Furthermore, it requires only a single annual service to ensure optimal performance, involving just a simple UV bulb and fan check.

The result? 9000 hours of worry-free air cleansing, to keep your facility both odour-free and fighting infection.

DDC Dolphin are giving away two UVMATIC air purification units to randomly selected facilities. Express your interest here.

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