The move by Kettering General Hospital is the latest in a series of moves to reduce hospital superbugs.

There are 26 voice boxes which will carry 400 different messages to relay the cleaning message as people walk past a motion sensor.

The hospital's director of nursing and midwifery, Denise McMahon, said the boxes are another way of making sure people don't forget to wash their hands before entering wards.

Mrs McMahon said: "There are 400 messages that the trust will use over a period of time and they will change every two hours.

"The voice boxes say things such as 'please wash your hands' and 'clean hands and then enter'."

They are the latest in a series of measures which, over the last three months, have included replacing 78 per cent of the hospital's mattresses and launching a £1m deep cleaning programme. Ward entrances now also have floor signs to reminded people to wash their hands or use
cleansing gel.

Lead nurse for infection control, Dawn Westmoreland, welcomed the voice boxes.

She said: "This is just another way of reminding people to wash their hands.

"It is important everyone, not just visitors, have clean hands when entering wards and with the sinks and signs this is another good reminder.

"There's a range of messages by different voices so it shouldn't be too repetitive."

The boxes are triggered by a motion sensor and once a message has been activated it will not be repeated for one-and-a-half minutes.

The boxes deliver eight different messages every day and can be programmed with any message.

The deep cleaning programme is 40 per cent complete with all wards and clinical areas due to be deep cleaned by the end of March.