Global Network for Anti-Microbial Resistance and Infection Prevention

Annabel Skinner

Giving talks about science to schools is a well-established outreach activity and Tim Leighton and Steve Dorney are among the NAMRIP members who have taken part. Annabel’s primary school was one they visited several years ago and Annabel went on to develop her interest in science, studying for A-levels in biology, chemistry and mathematics as a college student. She attended NAMRIP’s launch conference in December 2014 where her mother, in her professional capacity as a neonatal nurse consultant, was also attending. Annabel went on to gain a place to study medicine at the University of Exeter, but opted to defer entry for a year to gain experience working as a Health Care Assistant at Southampton General Hospital, which she began in August 2016. Both from the conference and while she has been working, Annabel has noticed StarStream’s potential for reducing the use of chemicals in handwashing, as she describes below:

Due to the hands-on nature of my work, I have to wash my hands frequently. This led to me developing a skin condition which required me to take a short time away from work to avoid further deterioration. If we had access to StarStream in the hospital, we could avoid using the harsh hand soaps and possibly help prevent these skin problems which are common among staff.
I have noticed that patients or visitors often do not follow correct hand hygiene procedures even where information posters or leaflets are available, for example when leaving an isolation room. This poses a risk of spreading infection around the hospital, putting patients at risk and increasing the use of antimicrobials. As I learnt at the NAMRIP launch conference, there is a potential for copper, which has antimicrobial properties, to be used to coat contact surfaces. This would be useful in the hospital environment to try and combat the spread of infection