National hand hygiene compliance report: 1 March to 30 June 2023

Introduction | Kupu whakataki

Te Tāhū Hauora Health Quality & Safety Commission (Te Tāhū Hauora) measures compliance as part of the Hand Hygiene New Zealand (HHNZ) programme.

The HHNZ programme uses the World Health Organization’s ‘5 Moments for Hand Hygiene’ multimodal improvement strategy to drive culture change and establish hand hygiene best practice for every patient, every time.

Good hand hygiene is one of the simplest, most effective ways to prevent the spread of healthcare-associated infections, which makes it a key patient safety priority.

This report presents results for the period 1 March 2023 to 30 June 2023, including national hand hygiene compliance for:

• 19 health districts (districts)*
• 23 private surgical hospitals (PSHs).

*(Capital and Coast results are now combined with Hutt Valley)
Data was extracted on 6 July 2023.

Summary of results for this audit period | He whakarāpopoto hua mō tēnei wā arotake

• The national compliance rate for districts was 84.8 percent, compared with 85.0 percent in the previous audit period.
• The national compliance rate for PSHs was 78.0 percent, compared with 81.7 percent in the previous audit period.
• Twelve districts and fourteen PSHs either achieved or exceeded the national target rate of 80 percent compliance.

Please note the following:

• Twelve districts achieved the ≥ 80 percent target rate for hand hygiene compliance and, of these, seven districts achieved a compliance rate of ≥ 85 percent.
• Seven districts did not reach the national compliance target of ≥ 80 percent. These districts were: Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty, Lakes, Te Pae Hauora o Ruahine o Tararua MidCentral, Southern, Taranaki, Wairarapa and Te Tai o Poutini West Coast.
• Hand hygiene auditors collected 64,600 moments for hand hygiene.
• Medical staff compliance was 78.7 percent in districts.
• Medical staff compliance decreased in PSHs to 52.7 percent.
• Eight districts did not meet the minimum data collection requirements and were more than 100 moments short of the minimum requirement for this auditing period. These districts were: Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty, Waitaha Canterbury, Te Matau a Māui Hawke’s Bay, Lakes, Te Tai Tokerau, South Canterbury, Taranaki and Waikato.
• In the districts, of all moments where glove use was recorded, health care workers failed to complete hand hygiene 16.3 percent of the time compared with 16.5 percent in the previous audit period.
• In PSHs, of all moments where glove use was recorded, health care workers failed to complete hand hygiene 22.8 percent of the time compared with 19.7 percent in the previous audit period.