Avoiding cross-contamination in the healthcare sector is a top priority. With over 3.5 million Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) and 90,000 deaths annually in the EU, infection prevention and control are a top priority, and to reduce the risk of infections, healthcare providers must encourage high standards of hygiene among staff and visitors
Close interaction means germs can circulate quickly and, with a high turnover of people in their care, practitioners such as physiotherapists, dentists and spa consultants could find it difficult to practise high standards of personal hygiene to protect clients.
Our integrated hygiene solutions, such as hygienic door handles, no-touch dispensers and kind-to-the-skin soaps, will help to minimise cross-contamination and help prevent infections while reassuring staff, patients and visitors.
It’s never been more important to help healthcare providers mitigate the risk of infections. Particular attention needs to be paid to the following high-risk areas:
Washrooms and toilets are hubs for germ transmission, particularly due to the number of close contact surfaces such as taps, flush handles, and door knobs. In addition, hospital sinks, drains, and plumbing can harbour multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) and act as outbreak sources, requiring specialised cleaning protocols beyond general surface disinfection.
Proper sanitation and continuous provision of soap/drying facilities are essential for breaking the infection chain. Improving the condition of public bathrooms and ensuring they are well stocked with essentials such as soap and paper towels can increase hand washing rates.
Some risk hotspots within the bathroom include toilets, toilet flushing handles, cubicle handles and areas around the sink. Effective hand washing and drying are critical to disrupt the spread of germs. Ensure soap and hand drying provisions are always available.
The reception is an important reflection of your establishment as it is often the first point of contact for patients and visitors. Ensure reception areas are well maintained, clean and hygienic to create a welcoming environment.
Treatment rooms could be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria without surface hygiene solutions in place to clean and disinfect these areas.
Communal areas such as canteens and kitchens can harbour germs. In these areas, hand and surface hygiene solutions are vital. Cross-contamination and the spread of bacteria in kitchens can occur easily if proper hygiene practices are not put in place.
Scent can affect emotions and is able to induce feelings of calm while reducing tension and anxiety.
Download our brochure for more information on Initial's solutions to your hygiene hotspots.
Initial’s range of innovative hygiene solutions can help to ensure healthcare providers reduce the risk of infections and encourage high standards of hygiene in staff and visitors.
Our industry-leading solutions are backed by data and scientific evidence. We provide innovations such as no-touch dispensers, industry-leading consumables and highly effective air hygiene solutions that can help protect the health and safety of your customers and staff.
We will install and maintain your hygiene solutions, manage consumables and sanitary waste whilst ensuring compliance with all local legislation and environmental regulations.
An award-winning range of hand hygiene products, as well as hand soaps and sanitisers, formulated to be highly effective against bacteria and viruses.
Our surface hygiene services disinfect and sanitise surfaces, equipment and floors with effective solutions that can kill 99.99% of bacteria and viruses.
Clean, safe air is more important than ever. Our air purification solutions can remove up to 99.85% of airborne particles including respiratory droplets.
Discover our easy-to-use online customer portal that supports hygiene management of single or multiple sites.
The safe management of all medical waste is vital; this includes separation, storage, as well as disposal. This reduces the potential risk to both humans and the environment, as well as being a legal obligation.
The safe management of all sanitary waste is vital; this includes separation, storage, as well as disposal. This reduces the potential risk to both humans and the environment, as well as being a legal obligation.
Improving hand hygiene compliance requires a combination of accessible infrastructure, education, and behavioral "nudges." The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies "5 Moments for Hand Hygiene," yet compliance often drops due to inconvenient dispenser placement or empty consumables.
To boost compliance:
Strategic placement: Install dispensers at all points of care and high-traffic entrances.
No-touch technology: Use sensor-activated dispensers to reduce cross-contamination fears.
Gentle formulations: Switch to moisturising soaps and sanitizers to prevent dermatitis, a common reason staff avoid frequent washing.
Improving hand hygiene compliance requires a combination of accessible infrastructure, education, and behavioral "nudges." The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies "5 Moments for Hand Hygiene," yet compliance often drops due to inconvenient dispenser placement or empty consumables.
Initial Hygiene’s Signature range features antimicrobial surfaces and no-touch technology. We also offer high-traffic tailored replenishment schedules so your staff never face an empty dispenser, directly supporting higher compliance rates.
Initial Hygiene services help mitigate risk by providing Specialist Disinfection Services for high-risk areas, implementing compliant healthcare waste management, and offering certified hand hygiene and air purification solutions (VIRUSKILLER™). This ensures that facilities meet stringent standards and focus on patient care.
Professional hygiene services from Initial will aid compliance by providing documented, professional maintenance and waste disposal according to national interpretations of EU Directives.
This includes the hygienic disposal of feminine hygiene waste, ensuring adherence to waste management standards (e.g., Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC) and supporting health guidelines like those from the WHO Regional Office for Europe on hand hygiene.
Professional services offer an audit trail for duty of care requirements.
High-touch surfaces (door handles, lift buttons, reception counters) are primary vectors for Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) like MRSA and E. coli. Standard cleaning schedules often miss the re-contamination that happens heavily between cleaning shifts.
Effective strategies include:
Antimicrobial coatings: Applying films or using materials that actively inhibit bacterial growth.
Virucidal disinfection: Using EN 14476 certified disinfectants.
Visual hygiene cues: providing surface wipes for visitors and staff to use on shared items, and posters in kep positions as visual reminders..
Initial Hygiene Solution: Initial Hygiene provides specialized surface hygiene services, including antimicrobial hygienic door handles and surface sanitiser dispensers. We can also implement periodic specialist deep cleaning and disinfection services to reset hygiene levels in critical areas.