WASH your hands before and after every meal may be a simple message.

But the infection control team at Warrington Hospital have said residents will be surprised just how many people can get it wrong.

A UV light box now helps highlight to employees at the hospital which areas of their hands they may miss in the cleaning process and it is a lesson a lot of visitors to the Lovely Lane hospital can also learn from to to help prevent bugs and germs being transferred.

Lesley McKay, lead nurse for infection control, said: "People think they're really good at hand washing so it's a really good visual aid during training to help them see the spots they have missed and learn from that.

"A long time ago it was viewed as a winter vomiting virus and we would see it in the cooler months but we don't know why it's becoming year round now.

"What we see in the hospital is a reflection of what's happening outside and sickness bugs are being brought in by patients, staff and visitors who feel they have a duty to visit their relative even when they're not feeling well.

"But their desire to support someone can give us a problem and viruses can spread through wards leaving us having to close beds and wards which then has a knock-on effect on A&E."

A vomiting virus can travel 30 feet but a 30-second hand washing technique taught to staff should ensure every inch of hands are clean including tricky spots around the fingers nails, wrists and around the thumb with the top tip of ensuring you wet your hands first before using soap.

If a ward is struck down with a diarrhoea or vomiting (D&V) bug, the team move in quickly to deep clean the area and revert back to hand washing rather than using alcoholic gels which Lesley says are not effective against D&V germs.

The associate director for infection prevention, who encourages anyone visiting wards to take off any jewellery and their watches, added: "I've been doing the job for 15 years and when I first started I didn't have as many cases or ward outbreaks.

"We try to restrict school age children visiting as the young and old are seen as being more vulnerable to infection and if they pick up a vomiting bug can take down a whole school.

"There are times when six or seven wards can be closed down and this year we have had one month where we didn't have any.

"We always ask people not to come in if are they are feeling unwell and for 48 hours after their symptoms have settled."