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Concern about hand hygeine at blood test

2 replies

Lifeomars · 10/10/2026 18:31

I know that what happened is highly unlikely to make me unwell but I am wondering what other's thoughts are. I recently had a blood test and the phlebotomist called me in from the waiting are while coughing into her hand and then touching the door handle to the room. Once we were in the room she again coughed into her hand saying "don't worry it's just a dry throat, nothing infectious," and then rubbed a small dab of hand santiser into the palm of the hand she had coughed into using the fingers of her other hand. She did not clean both hands, There was a sink in the room and she did not use this to wash her hands which I thought she should have done due to coughing into her hand Am i being fussy thinking this is bad practice and that i should notify someone? In my city blood taking has been outsourced to a central hub and is no longer done at the GPs so I am not even sure who to contact if I do want to report it.

OP posts:
BlueBayBic · 10/10/2026 18:36

As per infection control guidelines she should have washed her hands or used hand sanitizer and worn gloves. She used hand sanitiser … presumably she wore gloves? If it made you feel uncomfortable, you should have said something before she took your blood.

Lifeomars · 11/10/2026 21:33

BlueBayBic · 10/10/2026 18:36

As per infection control guidelines she should have washed her hands or used hand sanitizer and worn gloves. She used hand sanitiser … presumably she wore gloves? If it made you feel uncomfortable, you should have said something before she took your blood.

She did not wear gloves and only applied a dab of hand sanitiser to to half of the palm she had coughed into. I was too taken aback to say anything as part of me could not believe what i was seeing I worked in the NHS for 15 years and hand hygiene was annual mandatory training and we were taught to wash or sanitise every part of both hands and our wrists too. I posted because I no longer work and although I was taken aback I was wondering if the protocol had changed.

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