Should I question GP surgery blood taking hygiene?

[TulipVictory]

I am having my bloods taken tomorrow. Over the last 18 months or so at least I have had my bloods taken around 3 times. All by a healthcare assistant who (we have to queue outside before we get called in) comes out through the door with his blue gloves already on, leads you into a room & proceeds to lead you into a room and then takes your bloods with the same gloves on. I'm sure this is wrong ? But I feel too embarrassed to question it. I am also dreading going back tomorrow I feel that this is very unhygienic .

I agree. I'm also having my bloods taken tomorrow, which I have regularly. I have to rest my arm on a pillow which has no plastic cover, so is just the same pillow used by everyone and not cleaned between use.

I woukd question the gloves, mine always ask if they are ok to just wash their hands or would I prefer gloves to be worn. They always put fresh gloves on to gather the equipment and then discard the gloves, wash their hands before taking the blood (I have tricky veins and it’s easier with no gloves for them).

The cushion, I wouldn’t be bothered about as it doesn’t actually touch anything and I can sanitise as I leave the room.

My understanding is the gloves are used to protect the HCP taking the blood, not for cleanliness.
But hand hygiene should definitely take place before venepuncture, so definitely say something. Doesn't have to be confrontational, just ask if they can perform hand hygiene before proceeding please

The last time, we were queued outside and he called my first name but an elderly lady walked in. A few minutes later he saw her out with gloves on and then called me in instead saying we had a very different birthday 🙈 however, he kept those same gloves on he saw her in with.
He also then types on the keyboard with said gloves 🤔

Ask her to wash her hands and change gloves before if you're concerned?

The gloves are to protect the HCP, not the patient.

The gloves are to prevent needle stick injuries to him. A sterile needle goes into your vein. That needle is not touched at any time . There is no hygiene risk to you

Unacceptable! I'd ask him tomorrow to put on a fresh pair of gloves.
Also, once the tourniquet is on and the vein has been cleaned, does he then touch it again with the same gloves? Again- unacceptable to touch the 'cleaned' skin, without cleaning it again.

Touching keyboards, door handles, sterile phlebotomy equipment and multiple patients with the SAME pair of gloves is outside infection control standards and needs reporting to the practice manager.

He shouldn't be using the computer with gloves on!
The healthcare team who come out for home visits (care homes) have laminated notices on their laptops saying NOT to type with gloves on!
I know it feels awkward to ask them to wash their hands, but if you say it calmly it shouldn't be a big deal.

That said, you're unlikely to catch anything. Give your arm a wash when you get home. He won't be touching the actual needle.

@RunnerDown

The gloves are to prevent needle stick injuries to him. A sterile needle goes into your vein. That needle is not touched at any time . There is no hygiene risk to you

Gloves do not prevent needle stick injuries!

The HCP should wash hands and wear fresh gloves for each patient. Gloves should be removed before touching the keyboard. I consider that to be the minimum standard. I used to clean my keyboard, telephone and door handles at the beginning and end of each clinic too.

Research shows that wearing gloves can be more unhygienic than not. It gives the wearer a false sense of cleanliness.

The gloves are to protect the person taking the blood. It is rare to get anyone's blood on your skin, but you don't know who might have a blood borne condition.

I do agree about the false sense of hygiene though. I saw a staff member in my dad's care home clean him and change his pad, and then go straight to pouring him a drink all without changing gloves. I did complain about that.

You are so overthinking this.
The gloves are for the HCP protection, not yours.

I saw a staff member in my dad's care home clean him and change his pad, and then go straight to pouring him a drink all without changing gloves.

Ideally wash hands and change gloves between patients and before aseptic procedure, also wiping down all equipment between usage would be best practice yes. Unfortunatly there's absolutely no time for this so short cuts are made. So long as you don't touch the skin or the sterile part of the cannula prior to insertion then i wouldn't worry.

Worth pointing out also that those gloves will just be kept in a box and get fingered multiple times by multiple different people when trying to take a couple out then stuffing the rest back in again so they're not exactly clean anyway. For sutures or similar you get aseptic gloves in the pack and will use aseptic technique since handling the needle.

Likewise in terms of wiping room and surfaces down, tends to only be practiced if bodily fluids have come in contact and/or c.diff/mrsa involved.

I mean take for example resting your arm on the plastic cushion, would you think twice about touching the handrail on a bus? Sitting on a bench when getting changed in the pool? Lots of surfaces will have had someone else's skin touching it and doesn't mean it needs instant bleaching. Just the site of injection that needs a wipe.

Just ask him to wash his hands before he touches you , if you think that will offend him and don’t want to just say something like ‘ I’m a bit of a hygiene freak could you wash your hands before you start please ‘ which then makes it sound like it’s your issue not his iyswim .

Part of PPE for covid measures? Now means washing hands and placing gloves on before calling patient in and not to be removed till patient has left, at least where I work. Clinell wipes used to wipe down computer and seats etc where patient has sat in between each one.

Also as pp have said all equipment touching you is sterile. But I’d like to think he’s washing hands between each patient and wiping down before you get called in.