The NHS washes hands by wetting their hands with water and then they apply enough soap to cover all of their hand surfaces.
Then the NHS rubs their hands palm to palm with the right palm over the back of the other hand with interlaced fingers and vice versa.
Bare below the elbow means that your sleeves are above your elbow and your hands are forearms are free of any jewelry and your skin is intact and nails are natural, unvarnished and short.
The bare below the elbows is an initiative which aims to improve the effectiveness of hand hygiene that is performed by health care workers.
Healthcare workers and staff from ALL disciplines MUST be Bare Below the Elbow when entering/within a clinical area which includes sitting at the nurses station.
Staff must remove all hand/wrist jewellery (one plain band permitted) No fleeces/cardigans are permitted in the clinical area including at nurses stations.
In September 2007 the Department of Health announced new guidance with regard to healthcare professionals' attire; the so-called 'bare below the elbows' (BBE) policy (short sleeves, no wristwatch, no jewellery, and no ties when carrying out clinical activity).
Clothing that extends below the elbows must be removed or sleeves rolled up to the elbows during direct patient care.
Patient gowns must not be worn over uniforms at any time.
Compliance with bare below the elbow has been linked with increased rates of hand hygiene and uniform compliance.