Patients and visitors at Mayday Hospital will now be able to use hand-washing kits to prevent the spread of infection.

A £5,000 donation from the Friends of Mayday has enabled the trust to provide the kits at every bedside.

The wall-mounted dispensers are being piloted in key hospital departments.

Jennifer East, senior infection control nurse at the trust, said: "Evidence from some recent research has identified that about 10 per cent of hospital patients will have an infection while they are in hospital though not all of these infections are from other people.

"Some patients get an infection from their own organisms associated with the treatment or surgery that they need.

"However, there is some evidence that about a third of all infections identified in hospital could be prevented and effective hand hygiene is an essential element of this prevention programme."

Clinical staff at the trust have also been issued with their own alcohol gel rubs.