Nuffield Health Hospital Bournemouth has been working with local schoolchildren to demonstrate the importance of hand washing in infection prevention.
Pupils at Branksome Heath Junior School in Parkstone were treated to an interactive workshop with Nuffield Health Bournemouth’s infection prevention lead, Chris Tickner, as part of the school’s annual ‘Health Week’.
Chris used a UV powder representing bacteria smeared on squeezy foam balls for the children to pass amongst their classmates. The children then placed their hands in a UV light box illuminating the powder on their hands so they could see how easily bacteria can be transferred between people. The students were then challenged to wash their hands and put them back in the UV box so they could see the areas they had failed to scrub.
After learning what makes bacteria potent, pupils were also invited to draw on their new knowledge to sketch their own versions of contagious bacteria, resulting in a wealth of imaginative interpretations.
Chris said: “Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital is part of a chain of hospitals forming one of the UK’s largest not for profit healthcare organisations and cares a great deal about infection prevention education; we firmly believe prevention of disease is far better than cure. It was fantastic to see the children so engaged, by having fun and learning at the same time we hope they will remember what they learned in the workshop well into the future.”
Those interested in finding out more information about Nuffield Health’s school offerings or about treatment at the private hospital on Lansdowne Road are invited to call the hospital’s customer services team on 01202 702830 or visit www.nuffieldhealth.com/hospitals/bournemouth.
Pupils draw their own conclusions about bacteria during Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital's interactive workshop