Hand hygiene compliance data for all healthcare workers is collected across three national audit periods each year and aggregated national data is reported on the Commission’s website. Individual hospital level data is published on the MyHospitals website by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Hand hygiene compliance for medical practitioners has generally improved over the past five years. However, since 2016 the compliance rate for medical practitioners has remained below the national benchmark of 80 per cent.

This new statement highlights the importance of effective hand hygiene, infection prevention and control practices and the impact of these practices on reducing healthcare-associated infections and ensuring patient safety. The statement also provides medical practitioners with strategies they can use as clinical leaders to promote hand hygiene, infection prevention and control, and the prevention of healthcare-associated infections.

Thank you for the contribution many of you made to the development of the joint statement which has now been supported by the CPMC.

The Statement from the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges (CPMC) and the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care Hand Hygiene Compliance and Medical Practitioners has been published on the Commission’s website and is available at: www.safetyandquality.gov.au/ACSQHC-CPMC-handhygiene