PARAMEDICS in Glasgow have been urged to scrub up on hand hygiene after coming out as the worst in Scotland for compliance.

Nearly one in five ambulance workers (17%) in the West Central region failed the most recent tests.

In March – the most recent month for which figures are available – compliance was at 83 per cent, one per cent lower than the previous month and short of the 90 per cent target.

Ambulance bosses said poor scores in the area – which covers Glasgow, Lanarkshire and Dunbartonshire – were bringing the national target down significantly.

Paramedics have strict regulations with regard to hand washing – and are expected to adhere to them by the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Lack of compliance could lead to increased worries about the spread of MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

The Scottish Ambulance Service said hand hygiene compliance rates fluctuate throughout the year but the trend was one of "overall improvement.

West Central was Scotland’s only region to have failed the test, with South East (92 per cent), East Central (92 per cent), South West (93 per cent) and North (90 per cent) all meeting the 90 per cent target.

A report said: “Overall, hand hygiene compliance was reduced to 89% in March for a second, consecutive month.

"This is mainly due to compliance in West Central Division, which was 83 per cent in March and has consistently achieved below 90 per cent for the majority of the past year.”

The Scottish Ambulance Service sets the hand hygiene assessments to reduce Healthcare Associate Infections like C.diff and norovirus.

Annie Well, Scottish Conservative MSP for Glasgow said: "“Paramedics are under tremendous pressure and do a terrific job in very difficult circumstances.

“But the safety of patients has to be paramount, and there’s clearly an issue with these workers having the time in their shift to properly observe hand hygiene regulations.

“This isn’t a new thing, the service in and around Glasgow consistently fails to miss these very important targets.

“If the Scottish Ambulance Service doesn’t have the resources to enable staff to follow these rules, it has to make that abundantly clear to the Scottish Government.

“These standards have been in place for some time, and NHS patients will find it unacceptable that it’s so hard for them to be met.”

A spokeswoman for the Scottish Ambulance Service said: “Minimising the risk of healthcare associated infection for patients, staff and the public is a priority for the Scottish Ambulance Service.

“We do this by ensuring our staff receive guidance and education on infection prevention and control, including practicing appropriate hand hygiene, carrying out regular ambulance cleans and decontaminating equipment in between patient use.

“The hand hygiene compliance rate in the West Central division fluctuates slightly throughout the year, however the trend is one of overall improvement, with the most recent report showing hand hygiene compliance at its highest level this year so far.

"In the same report, West Central division scored 100 per cent compliance in most areas, including management of patient care equipment, respiratory hygiene, management of blood, and occupational exposure management.