Bradford Teaching Hospitals is reminding patients and visitors to wash their hands in a bid to help healthcare staff fight the hospital superbug C.difficile.

The awareness week is part of the Foundation Trust’s action plan to keep up levels of protection – and keep down levels of infection.

Staff at Bradford Royal Infirmary , St Luke’s Hospital and its four community hospitals at Westwood Park, Westbourne Green, Ward F3 at St Luke’s and Eccleshill are highlighting to patients and visitors what they can do to help prevent the C.difficile bug from spreading.

Lead nurse for infection prevention and control, Rosemarie Dobson, said: “C.difficile often affects the over-65s, people who are taking certain antibiotics or have a reduced immune system.

“The C.difficile bug produces spores – microscopic particles which fly around in the air – and when they land on surfaces they can live for quite a long time.

“Our C.difficile rates are low but we are struggling to meet the stringent targets, which are set by the Department of Health.

“We are calling on the public to help us in the fight against C.difficile as everyone in the Foundation Trust is working hard.”