The Importance of Antibacterial Pull Cords

Date: 09/07/25

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve all been more aware of how easily germs can spread on hands, on surfaces and on everything we touch. And with COVID still part of our everyday lives, infection control has never been more important.

Unfortunately, COVID is just one of the challenges facing the healthcare locations, such as hospitals, clinics and care homes. Anti-microbial resistant bacteria and viruses, so-called ‘superbugs’, are also on the rise, leading to a significant increase in healthcare acquired infections (HCAIs) such as C.Diff and MRSA.

How big a problem are HCAIs?

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) estimates that around 300,000 people per year suffer from a healthcare acquired infection, costing the NHS around £2.7billion. And those numbers could be considerably higher. One study from 2016/17 found 653,000 HCAIs leading to 22,800 deaths. 

The problems include respiratory infections, such as pneumonia (22.8%), urinary tract infections (17.2%), surgical site infections (15.7%), gastrointestinal infections (8.8%), and bloodstream infections (7.3%). More than 10% of the infections tracked led to sepsis, which has life-changing, and even life-threatening, consequences.

Unfortunately, it’s not just patients who are at risk. Healthcare workers, family members and community carers are also exposed to these superbugs. The NICE figures above include no less than 13,900 front line healthcare workers who acquired an illness in the course of their duties.

What can be done to stop HCAIs?

Fighting HCAIs has always been an uphill battle, with microbes adapting to new drugs as fast as they can be developed. This makes containment of infections, and the prevention of their spread all the more important. 

Every single aspect of the clinical environment must be kept as clean and safe as possible, from the mattress and bedding to the seats and tables. Every touch point must be considered so that the risk of contamination can be minimised.   

This is where Sleeve It can make a real difference to any healthcare environment with our range of Cordgienic antibacterial pull cords for lights and emergency nurse calls. 

Why Cordgienic?

If you’ve ever pulled on a well-used, dirty, nylon pull cord, you’ll know how unpleasant it feels. Often sticky, moist and greasy, they are a breeding ground for bacteria at the best of times, and when they’re located in bathrooms and toilets, they’re an even bigger infection risk.

A Cordgienic antibacterial pull cord offer a hygienic alternative to nylon strings, which are not only easier to clean, but also have their own bacterial resistance built-in to the plastic cord coating itself. This resistance has been independently tested and ‘demonstrated an excellent antimicrobial effect against both S. aureus and E. coli, more than sufficient to pass the ISO 22196 test specification’. (https://cordgienic.com/Downloads/CordgienicJan10.pdf)

Cost-effective protection

Given the £2.7billion cost of HCAIs in the NHS alone, any measures that can reduce these infections are going to be a worthwhile investment. Yet remarkably, Cordgienic antibacterial pull cords actually cost around the same to install as standard nylon pull cords. What’s more, because they are much longer lasting, with fewer breakages, Cordgienic antibacterial pull cords work out significantly more cost effective in the long run.

Sleeve It can provide Cordgienic antibacterial pull cords in white for lights, and orange and red for emergency pull cords, in a choice of 1.8mm or 3.2mm widths. Cordgienic antibacterial pull cord is supplied in 100m rolls, allowing you to refurbish entire wards, bays or clinics quickly and easily. We can also supply compatible Cordgienic antibacterial pull cord weights and triangles to complete your installation.

To find out more about the benefits of a Cordgienic antibacterial pull cord, get in touch with Sleeve It today or order online for UK next day delivery or deliveries to Europe and beyond.

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