Clean hands and stop germs
From Thursday 11 December 2025, staff, patients and visitors to hospitals in South Tyneside and Sunderland will need to wear a facemask and clean their hands when coming in and out of its healthcare facilities.
With rates of flu increasing and other winter illnesses spreading in the local community, healthcare leaders at STSFT have put new preventative measures in place until the end of January.
It means anyone coming to its main hospitals in South Tyneside and Sunderland, as well as key other community sites (see below), will need to wear a facemask and clean their hands.
- Sunderland Eye Infirmary
- Durham Treatment Centre
- Houghton Intermediate Care Assessment and Rehabilitation (ICAR)
- St Benedict’s Hospice
- Palmer Community Hospital
- Sunderland Children’s Centre
Community nursing teams who visit patients at home, in care homes and in other settings like schools, will also wear a facemask when going about their caring duties.
Dr Shaz Wahid is the Trust’s Medical Director. He explains why the Trust is taking these steps now.
“We are already seeing the impact of flu and other respiratory illnesses both on our staff and our patients. We are taking these steps now to do all we can to prevent the spread of infection this winter.
“People can often have very mild flu symptoms and sometimes no symptoms at all, and this means they pass germs on without being aware of it. Wearing a facemask is proven to reduce the risk of germs spreading, and this is vital in healthcare settings.”
The message is not only about facemasks. The Trust is getting back to basics with the launch of its ‘clean hands’ campaign to remind everyone to make sure their hands are clean. This is one of the most important and simple ways to stop the spread of germs.
Dr Shaz Wahid added,
“We also want to remind everyone how important it is to clean your hands. This is one of the simplest and most important ways to stop germs spreading, and we all have a part to play.
“We have lots of hand hygiene stations and signage in place in our sites for you to clean your hands and help us keep you, our patients and your loved ones safe and healthy. We really appreciate everyone’s support over the weeks ahead to keep everyone safe.”
STSFT is taking these vital preventive steps now to protect everyone as it prepares for the busiest time of the year for the NHS. It is urging all those eligible for the flu vaccine to get this as soon as possible. Anyone feeling unwell is also asked to stay away from visiting loved ones who are in the hospital.
Mask-wearing measures will stay in place until at least the end of January.
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