HEALTH workers are bidding to protect people from swine flu — by testing how clean their hands are.

NHS East Lancashire staff will shine an ultra-violet beam on people’s hands which shows up any areas that are dirty.

The team will be at health centres across the area over the coming weeks to put patients and visitors to the test.

Marie Wright, from NHS East Lancashire’s infection control team, said: “One of the main ways to avoid being struck down by swine flu, or spreading it around, is by practising good hand-washing technique.

“Everyone thinks that they know how to wash their hands properly but we find a lot of people either don’t carry it out properly or simply don’t know how to do it effectively. That’s why we’re running the campaign to heighten awareness and improve hand-washing practice.”

The team will be at Accrington Pals Health Centre this afternoon and at Accrington Victoria Hospital out-patients and in the minor injuries unit on Friday, August 21.

Two sessions are being held at Clitheroe Health Centre this morning and at the out-patients department at Clitheroe Community Hospital on the morning of Friday, August 21. A session will be held at the St Peter’s Health Centre, Burnley, on Wednesday morning and the team will visit Bacup Health Centre on Wednesday afternoon.

The PCT’s public health experts say hand-washing is the first line of defence against the spread of any type of infection.

PCT public health director Dr Ellis Friedman said: “People would be horrified if they realised the amount of bacteria that gets on their hands in the course of everyday living.

“Too often, too many people do not pay enough attention to the proper way of washing their hands. It only takes 20 seconds to wash right and to wash well.”