Ref. 30144-99Nursing auxiliary Cynthia Smith has gone from bed to verse in her attempts to ask hospital visitors to abide by her ward's rules.

Cynthia, an infection control link nurse on Kingfisher Ward at the Great Western Hospital, has written a series of poems encouraging visitors to follow a few simple guidelines to help patients recover better and assist staff.

Where's The Mop? asks visitors with upset stomachs not to come into the hospital until they are better as infection can spread very quickly in a ward.

She also asks visitors not to sit on beds as staff then have to change them due to the risk of germs being brought in on the visitors' clothes.

Her rhymes also ask people to stick to visiting times and to stop asking for food and cups of tea.

Cynthia, 54, said: "I wrote the poems because I wanted to get over some serious messages in a light hearted way.

"Some people get very embarrassed, even annoyed, if we ask them not to sit on beds or to put chairs back when they have finished with them. Some staff feel awkward asking visitors not to sit on beds or to leave when visiting time is over.

"However there are very good reasons for all our rules many of them are to stop infections spreading as on an orthopaedic ward like Kingfisher some patients can be particularly vulnerable.

"The rules are also there for the benefit of patients who need peace and quiet to help them recover and to ensure that visitors do not get in the way of staff who are trying to look after the patients."

Senior sister and ward manager Jacky Philpott said: "Cynthia works very hard on infection control with all the staff, patients and visitors on Kingfisher Ward.

"Infection control is a two-way process, and shouldn't just be left to my staff to put into action.

"We all have an obligation to stamp out cross infection, with the cooperation from all visitors to our ward this will help us to achieve in reducing the cross infection risk."

Matron Carol Black said: "Cynthia's poems are a great idea. We don't want visitors to think we are laying down the law but we have to make sure that our patients receive the care they need.

"These verses are the perfect way to explain to visitors how they can help us to help their friends and relatives get well again and to keep infections off the ward.

"All the poems are up on a special board for our visitors to read and they have proven to be very popular with everyone. All the staff love them and they have certainly raised a few smiles."

Alex Emery