Purehold PRO Gel Dispensing Handle FAQs

We already have wall-mounted gel dispensers installed. Why do we need Hygiene Door Handles?

The Purehold PRO improves hand-hygiene compliance rates significantly. In NHS hospital trials where wall-mounted gel dispensers and posters were already in place, hand-hygiene compliance increased dramatically when the Purehold PRO was installed. Hand-hygiene policies that are based on wall-mounted gel dispensers rely on the people to see, understand and comply with the instruction to clean their hands. The Purehold PRO is intuitive and universal. It is the only system that can ensure that everyone who enters an area has clean hands.

Other benefits include:

  • Helps raises the profile of hand hygiene (especially among the public)
  • Can be retrofitted onto existing doors without drilling (Approved for fire doors)
  • Works alongside existing infection prevention products

How much will our hand hygiene compliance rate be improved by using the Purehold PRO?

The improvement in hand hygiene compliance resulting from installation of the Purehold PRO will vary between installations, depending on the environment and current compliance rates.

Rates which are two or three times better than before are not uncommon. For example, in NHS hospital trials where wall-mounted gel dispensers and posters were already in place, hand-hygiene compliance increased as follows:

  • Royal Hampshire County Hospital (RHCH) in Winchester showed an improvement in door-entry hand-hygiene compliance from 34% to 74% (averages across three locations) 
  • Queen Alexandra in Portsmouth showed an improvement in door-entry hand-hygiene compliance from 6% to 60% (averages across three locations 

Why does the Purehold PRO include a non-gel handle option? Doesn’t this defeat the object?

The non-gel section of the handle is optional. You can choose a version of the handle with or without this option depending on your preferences and custom requirements.

When the non-gel section is used, it is positioned lower than the gel section, so that users have to make conscious decision to avoid the gel section to reach for it.
The non-gel section was included in the design following feedback from NHS trusts to allow for:

  • People carrying objects
  • People who are allergic to hand gel or have a sensitive skin
  • Staff wearing gloves

How much gel does the handle dispense?

The handles dispenses an average of one millilitre (1ml)  of gel each time it is used. When a person takes hold of the Purehold PRO to open the door, sanitising gel is automatically released through the patented release valve system into their hand.

The built in ‘intelligent’ delivery system ensures that the actual volume of gel delivered each time is always appropriate to the size of the user’s hand. This clever design avoids inefficient and costly overuse.

How much cleaner is the Purehold PRO than a traditional door handle? Is cross-contamination an issue?

The Purehold PRO is 98.5% cleaner than a standard hospital door handle. Independent tests carried out during trials of the Purehold PRO at NHS hospitals showed the Purehold PRO surface to be 98.5% cleaner than a standard hospital door handle. The risk of cross-contamination from dirty door handles is dramatically reduced by installation of the Purehold PRO.

Is the Purehold PRO suitable for use on a fire door?

The handles have been independently tested and approved for use on FD30 and FD60 timber and steel fire doors. Testing was performed by a UKAS accredited testing body (Chiltern International Fire).

For further information, or to request a copy of the full test report please contact us at info@purehold.co.uk

How easy is the Purehold PRO to install and maintain/clean?

The Purehold PRO is very easy to install and in most cases will be untertaken by one of our specialist installation engineers. It can be retrofitted onto doors using the existing pull handle fixing points and for most installations there is no need to drill the doors.

For further installation details, please contact us on 02392 299 100.

How do we know when the gel refill needs replacing? Is it easy to change?

A quick glance at the reservoir is enough to see immediately if a refill is required.
When the small ball in the reserve reservoir aligns with the ‘target’ then the gel refill bottle is empty and needs to be replaced.

The refill bottle can be replaced in about 10 seconds. The quick release lid allows easy access to change the bottle, while the tamper-proof design ensures that the gel supply itself is securely stored in the handle.

What is the cost of the Purehold PRO package?

Please contact us at info@purehold.co.uk or by phone on 02392 299 100 for a quotation.

One handle is supplied with the following as standard:

  • One standard gel-only handle (non-gel option avaliable)
  • One gel refill
  • Door graphics that sit above and below the handle (providing clear instructions to users and reinforces the importance of hand hygiene as a method of reducing infection and saving lives)
  • Installation by specialist Installation Engineer (subject to T&Cs)

If I purchase Purehold PRO, what return on investment will I get?

Although it is not possible to accurately quantify the cost-effectiveness of the Purehold PRO, the significance of hand hygiene is well documented.

"Hand hygiene is considered one of the most effective interventions to reduce health care associated infections". [National Patient Safety Agency (NPSA)]

"A nine per cent reduction in infection rates as a result of improved hand hygiene could save the NHS £140 million per annum and, most importantly, 450 lives". [The economic case: Implementing near-patient alcohol hand rub your trust, NPSA 2004]

"The evidence for S aureus and MRSA contamination of a huge variety of items in hospitals is overwhelming. Objects such as computer keyboards, door handles, tourniquets, pens, television sets, stethoscopes, telephones, beds and bedside tables, equipment packaging, paper and patient’s notes, and toys are just a few examples". [Contamination of room door handles by methicillin-sensitive/methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Journal of Hospital Infections (2002; 51: 140–43]

"80% of infection diseases are spread by touch". [Copper Development Association]

"Contaminated fingers could sequentially transfer a virus to up to seven clean surfaces". [Journal of Hospital Infection Volume 58, 2004]

"Averaged out, the figures show that more than one in four Britons had faecal matter on their hands". [Dr Curtis, Director of the Hygiene Centre at the University of London]

"Viruses can survive on human hands for several hours..." [Professor John Oxford, Royal London Hospital as quoted in the Sunday Times 10th May 2009]

Where can I get datasheets for the Purehold PRO and Gel?

Datasheets are available on request from our Customer Services Team. To request a copy, please call us on +44 (0)2392 299 100.

What gel is used in the handle?

The Pure Hold Sanitising Hand Gel is a highly effective bacterial & virucidal alcohol hand gel (tested to the latest EN1500 and EN14476 standards), specifically developed for use with the Purehold PRO to optimise performance.

Please contact our Customer Services Team on +44 (0)2392 299 100 should you require a copy of the full Material Safety Datasheet.