Table 1.

Survey questions of public on use of gloves by healthcare workers.

1. In the last six months, have you had personal experience of being a patient in an NHS hospital (either as an inpatient or as an outpatient)? [If ‘Yes’ answer all Qs; if ‘No’ answer Qs 6 (+/– 7), 8 (+/– 9), 10–13] 2. Thinking back to the time/s when you have been in a hospital, over the last six months, can you recall at least one occasion when a health professional (HP) wore gloves when caring for you? Examples of ‘health professionals’ are doctors, nurses, healthcare assistants and physiotherapists. 3. Please briefly describe what activities the HPs were undertaking while wearing gloves, for example ‘changing my dressing, taking a blood sample, etc’. 4. For each of the examples you have given above, please indicate if you feel it was/wasn’t appropriate for gloves to be worn. 5. Finally, for each of the examples you have given, please state why you felt it was or wasn’t appropriate for gloves to be worn 6. Can you think of any occasion where you have seen a HP undertaking an activity where they WERE NOT wearing gloves and you think they should have been? (This could have been during your care, the care of someone else or while the HP was undertaking some other activity.) 7. You said you have seen a HP undertaking an activity where they were not wearing gloves and you think they should have been. Please tell us what they were doing. 8. Can you think of any occasion where you have seen a HP wearing gloves when you think they SHOULD NOT have been? (This could have been during your care, the care of someone else or while the HP was undertaking some other activity.) 9. You said you have seen a HP wearing gloves when you think they should not have been. Please tell us what they were doing. 10. HPs carry out a number of activities; in the examples given below please indicate how you would feel about them wearing gloves while doing so (select from: I would like the HPs to wear gloves for this/I would feel uncomfortable with the HPs wearing gloves for this/I wouldn’t mind either way) ○ Taking my blood pressure ○ Giving me an injection ○ Making my bed ○ Giving me medication (tablets) ○ Helping me to eat ○ Taking a sample of my blood ○ Helping me off the toilet ○ Giving me a wash ○ Helping me walk to the toilet ○ Washing my private areas (genitals) ○ Changing my wound dressing ○ A doctor listening to my chest with a stethoscope ○ Helping me to get undressed for theatre ○ Cleaning my bedside table ○ Serving me tea and coffee 11. Do you want to make any other comments about HPs’ use of gloves? 12. Have you ever challenged a HP about their use of gloves while caring for you or a friend /relative? 13. You said that you have challenged a HP about their use of gloves. Please tell us about this.