Visiting a hospital kitchen recently, one of the few that actually cooked food rather than reheat meals bought from elsewhere it was somewhat reassuring to see hand rub dispensers were everywhere and all staff had a personal supply.

Compliance seemed remarkably high – I have never seen so much hand hygiene in one place – but was concerned to watch cooks applying hand rub so close to naked gas flames. The flash point of alcohol hand rubs must be a safety risk in the kitchen environment. I have no wish to witness the ritual immolation of an NHS cook!

And why were the waste bins next to each handwash sink lined with an orange sack?