‘Safer Needles Now!’, the campaign to prevent any healthcare worker ever acquiring AIDS in an NHS Hospital again, is launching ‘Needlestick Awareness Week’ on Monday 15th March at the Royal Free Hospital in North London. It will be the first leg of a regional roadshow going to Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle before finishing in Glasgow on Friday 19th March.

Five UK healthcare workers are known to have contracted HIV following a needlestick injury. Four of them have subsequently died. There are a further twelve cases of ‘probable’ infection.

Roadshow events will be attended by healthcare workers and others who are in the frontline and most at risk of needlestick injuries. ‘Needlestick Awareness Week’ is designed to enable these workers to achieve change in their place of work through better training, management and the introduction of safety devices.

Interested media outlets are invited to send photographers, journalists or film crews to the events. A number of spokespeople from Unison, the RCN, and the BMA will be available for comment.

Dr Paul Grime, Chairman of the Safer Needles Network, said: "It is shocking that in the modern NHS at least four people have died through needle-stick injuries. Every day more healthcare workers are faced with the emotional trauma that follows exposure to potentially infected material. New Department of Health guidance is long overdue, and we need to see it implemented in every place of work. That is the message that we are taking nationwide. Lives should not be placed at risk through avoidable injuries at work."

For further information please contact 07906 483676

Notes to Editors

The venues for regional roadshow will be:

• London, Royal Free Hospital, Hampstead, 15th March
• Bristol, Bristol City Football Ground, 16th March
• Birmingham, The Clarendon Suites, Edgbaston, 17th March
• Newcastle, Newcastle United Football Ground, 18th March
• Glasgow, Beardmore Conference Centre, Jubilee Hospital, 19th March

All events commence at 9am.

NEWS ARCHIVE

16 Nov 2005 Safer Needles Network Minutes - 13 Sep 2005

10 Oct 2005 Response to "Action on Health Care Associated Infections in England"

10 Oct 2005 CPME Position Paper on Neeldestick Injuries

15 Jun 2005 National Risk Conference 2005

31 May 2005 Nursing Safety Survey 2005

31 May 2005 2nd Needlestick Awareness Week

24 May 2005 Safer Needle Network minutes

26 January 2005 Needlestick Management Guidance

26 January 2005 Healthcare workers still at risk from HIV and Hepatitis C

25 January 2005 Needlestick injuries in healthcare workers still occurring

12 August 2004 Sharp Thinking: An All Wales strategy for sharps injury prevention'

11 March 2004 ‘Safer Needles Now!’ roadshow hits London, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow

20 February 2004 Unions demand ‘Safer Needles Now!’

More stories