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System Performance

Hand Washing by Hospital Care Providers


This indicator measures compliance by hospital care providers with best practices for washing hands with soap and running water or cleaning hands with antibacterial gel. A higher percentage is better. Results are based on audits using direct observation of hand hygiene practices, or on electronic monitoring of hand hygiene compliance.

For hospitals where direct observation was used, two results are reported separately, one for compliance before patient contact and one for after. For hospitals where electronic monitoring was used, one result is reported that measures overall compliance on all the occasions when hand washing should have been performed. Provincial results include only those hospitals where direct observation was used.

Provincial ×

2022/23

Before patient contact

87.3%

compliance with hand washing best practices

After patient contact

91.7%

compliance with hand washing best practices


Learn why some data are not available.


Compare results across hospitals:


Hospital name Percentage
Ontario 87.3
Sensenbrenner Hospital 33.3
Southlake Regional Health Centre 45.9
North Wellington Health Care - Mount Forest 47.5
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation - Juravinski Hospital 50.6
Grand River Hospital Corporation - Waterloo Site 50.6
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre 55.2
Brockville General Hospital - Charles ST Site 55.7
Lakeridge Health - Ajax Site 57.1
Grand River Hospital Corporation - Freeport Site 57.1
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation - West Lincoln Memorial Hospital 57.5
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation - Hamilton General Hospital 58.6
Cambridge Memorial Hospital 58.9
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health-Queen Street Site 60.1
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation - St. Peter's Hospital 61.6
Quinte Healthcare Corporation - Belleville 62.2
Stevenson Memorial Hospital 63.6
The Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital 64.4
Kingston Health Sciences Centre - Hotel Dieu 65.2
Niagara Health System - Fort Erie Douglas Site 65.4
Blanche River Health - Englehart 65.9
Sinai Health System - Mount Sinai Hospital 66.2
Peterborough Regional Health Centre 68.2
Niagara Health System - Welland County 69.7
Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation - McMaster 69.8
Lady Dunn Health Centre 69.8
Bluewater Health - Charlotte Eleanor Englehart (Petrolia) 70.0
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance - Wallaceburg 70.0
Kingston Health Sciences Centre -Kingston General 71.3
Halton Healthcare Services Corporation - Georgetown Hospital 71.5
Unity Health Toronto - St. Joseph's 71.7
Georgian Bay General Hospital - Midland Site 71.8
Hotel Dieu Hospital - Cornwall (St. Joseph's Continuing Care Centre) 72.2
Deep River And District Hospital 73.2
Niagara Health System - Greater Niagara General Site 73.5
Perth And Smiths Falls District Hospital - Perth Site 74.3
Kemptville District Hospital 74.4
North Wellington Health Care - Palmerston 75.0
Niagara Health System - Port Colborne Site 76.7
The Ottawa Hospital - The Rehab Centre 77.0
Lakeridge Health - Oshawa Site 77.0
Halton Healthcare Services Corporation - Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital 77.2
Quinte Healthcare Corporation - Trenton 77.2
Blanche River Health - Kirkland 77.2
Lakeridge Health - Bowmanville 77.3
Unity Health Toronto - St. Michael’s 77.6
Health Sciences North - Sudbury Mental Health and Addictions Centre 77.6
Espanola General Hospital 77.7
South Bruce Grey Health Centre - Chesley 78.0
Sault Area Hospital - Sault Ste Marie 78.1
St. Joseph's General Hospital 78.3
Haliburton Highlands Health Services Corporation - Haliburton 78.6
Weeneebayko Area Health Authority - Moose Factory Site 78.6
Niagara Health System - St Catharines General 78.6
Lakeridge Health - Whitby Site 78.7
Cornwall Community Hospital - Mcconnell Avenue Site 78.7
Hopital Montfort 79.1
North of Superior Healthcare Group - McCausland Hospital 79.2
West Nipissing General Hospital 80.2
Almonte General Hospital 80.3
Perth And Smiths Falls District Hospital - Smiths Falls Site 80.7
Royal Ottawa Health Care Group - Brockville Mental Health Centre 80.7
Trillium Health Partners - Mississauga Hospital 80.8
Southlake Regional Health Centre - RCC Church 81.0
Health Sciences North - Ramsay Lake Health Centre 81.4
Groves Memorial Community Hospital 81.9
Smooth Rock Falls Hospital 81.9
Lakeridge Health - Port Perry 82.0
Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare - Dr. Y. Emara Centre 82.0
St. Mary's General Hospital 83.0
The Ottawa Hospital - General Site 83.1
Oak Valley Health 83.4
Children's Hospital Of Eastern Ontario 83.5
Bruyere Continuing Care Inc. - Saint-Vincent Hospital 84.1
University Health Network - Princess Margaret Hospital 84.3
William Osler Health System - Etobicoke General 84.8
Services De Sante De Chapleau Health Services 84.9
Atikokan General Hospital 85.0
Brant Community Healthcare System - Brantford General Hospital 85.1
Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital 85.7
The Ottawa Hospital - Civic Site 85.8
Halton Healthcare Services Corporation - Milton District Hospital 85.8
North Bay Regional Health Centre - North Bay Site 86.0
Waypoint Centre For Mental Health Care - Oakridge 86.1
Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare - Dr. Fouad Tayfour Regional Rehab Centre 86.5
Bruyere Continuing Care Inc. - Élisabeth Bruèyre Hospital 86.6
Collingwood General and Marine Hospital 86.6
Trillium Health Partners - Credit Valley Hospital 86.6
William Osler Health System - Brampton Civic 86.7
Ross Memorial Hospital 86.7
Temiskaming Hospital 86.8
University Health Network - Hillcrest/University 87.0
University Health Network - Toronto General Hospital 87.0
Guelph General Hospital 87.1
Pembroke Regional Hospital Inc. 87.9
Trillium Health Partners - Queensway Health Centre 88.1
University Of Ottawa Heart Institute 88.2
North Bay Regional Health Centre - Kirkwood Place 88.2
Casey House 88.9
South Bruce Grey Health Centre - Durham 88.9
Anson General Hospital 89.1
Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital 89.1
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare - Huntsville District Memorial Hospital 89.1
Chatham-Kent Health Alliance - Public General Hospital Society Of Chatham 89.3
St. Joseph's Care Group - St. Joseph's Hospital 89.4
Grey Bruce Health Services - Southampton Hospital 89.5
London Health Sciences Centre - University Hospital 89.8
South Huron Hospital 89.9
St. Joseph's Health Centre Guelph 90.0
Headwaters Health Care Centre - Dufferin 90.0
Bingham Memorial Hospital 90.1
Humber River Health - Wilson Site 90.3
Grey Bruce Health Services - Meaford Hospital 90.5
Carleton Place and District Memorial Hospital 90.6
Quinte Healthcare Corporation - Bancroft 90.7
St. Joseph's Health Care System Hamilton - Charlton Campus 91.0
Oak Valley Health - Cottage Hospital Site 91.1
Lennox And Addington County General Hospital 91.1
MacKenzie Health - Mackenzie Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital 91.2
Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre 91.2
St. Joseph's Health Care London - Parkwood Institute's Main Building 91.2
Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare - Bracebridge 91.4
Campbellford Memorial Hospital 91.7
North of Superior Healthcare Group - Wilson Memorial General Hospital 91.7
South Bruce Grey Health Centre - Walkerton 91.8
Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre 92.0
Mackenzie Health - Richmond Hill 92.0
Homewood Health Centre Inc. 92.1
West Park Healthcare Centre 92.1
Quinte Healthcare Corporation - Picton 92.3
Joseph Brant Hospital 92.4
Baycrest Hospital (North York) 92.5
Nipigon District Memorial Hospital 92.7
Alexandra Marine and General Hospital 92.8
Bluewater Health - Sarnia General Site 92.8
Providence Care Centre - Mental Health Services 93.0
University Health Network - Toronto Western Hospital 93.1
Unity Health Toronto - Providence 93.2
Grey Bruce Health Services - Owen Sound Hospital 93.3
St. Joseph's Health Care London - South West Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care - St. Thomas Site 93.3
Ontario Shores Centre For Mental Health Sciences 93.3
Runnymede Healthcare Centre 93.4
Woodstock General Hospital 93.6
St. Francis Memorial Hospital 93.6
South Bruce Grey Health Centre - Kincardine 93.7
Hornepayne Community Hospital 93.8
Hawkesbury and District General Hospital 93.8
Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital 93.9
Renfrew Victoria Hospital 94.0
St. Joseph's Health Care Hamilton - West 5th Campus 94.1
Salvation Army Toronto Grace Health Centre 94.2
The Lady Minto Hospital 94.2
Lake Of The Woods District Hospital 94.3
Arnprior Regional Health 94.3
Waypoint Centre For Mental Health Care - Regional 94.7
Northumberland Hills Hospital 94.9
Sante Manitouwadge Health 95.0
Grey Bruce Health Services - Markdale Site 95.1
Notre Dame Hospital 95.2
Scarborough Health Network - Centenary 95.2
Humber River Health - Church Site 95.4
Scarborough Health Network - Scarborough General Site 95.4
London Health Sciences Centre - Victoria Hospital 95.6
Geraldton District Hospital 95.6
St. Joseph's Health Care London - Parkwood Institute's Mental Health Care Building 95.7
University Health Network - Toronto Rehab Institute: Bickle Centre 95.7
Riverside Health Care Facilities Inc. - La Verendrye 95.8
Winchester District Memorial Hospital 96.1
Scarborough Health Network - Birchmount 96.3
University Health Network - Toronto Rehab Institute: Lyndhurst Site 96.3
Listowel Memorial Hospital 96.6
Grey Bruce Health Services - Wiarton Site 96.8
West Haldimand General Hospital 96.8
St. Thomas-Elgin General Hospital 97.0
Queensway Carleton Hospital 97.0
Sinai Health System - Hennick Bridgepoint Hospital Site 97.2
Mattawa General Hospital 97.6
The Hospital for Sick Children 97.8
Erie Shores Healthcare 98.0
Clinton Public Hospital 98.2
West Parry Sound Health Centre 98.4
Stratford General Hospital 98.7
Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance : St. Marys Memorial Hospital 98.7
Windsor Regional Hospital - Ouellette Campus 98.9
Seaforth Community Hospital 99.0
Hanover and District Hospital 99.1
Windsor Regional Hospital - Metropolitan Campus 99.2
Dryden Regional Health Centre 99.4
Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare - Toldo Neurobehavioural Inst. 99.4
Royal Ottawa Health Care Group - Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre 99.6
Riverside Health Care Facilities Inc. - Rainy River 100.0
Riverside Health Care Facilities Inc. - Emo Site 100.0
Alexandra Hospital 100.0
Wingham And District Hospital 100.0
St. Joseph's Health Care London - St. Joseph's Hospital 100.0


Percentage of occasions before patient contact on which hospital care providers complied with hand washing best practices, in Ontario, 2012/13 to 2022/23
2012/132013/142014/152015/162016/172017/182018/192019/202020/212021/222022/2302040608010085.685.686.286.287.587.587.387.388.588.588.288.289.089.085.685.684.784.788.188.187.387.3Fiscal YearPercent
Ontario
2012/13 85.6
2013/14 86.2
2014/15 87.5
2015/16 87.3
2016/17 88.5
2017/18 88.2
2018/19 89.0
2019/20 85.6
2020/21 84.7
2021/22 88.1
2022/23 87.3

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

Data source: The Self Reporting Initiative, Health Analytics Branch, Ministry of Health. For more information, please visit the Indicator Library.

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