There was a serious message behind the silliness when staff at Barnet Hospital used hit song Gangnam Style to remind people to wash their hands.

More than 200 members of staff at Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals showed how to scrub up in the short film Use This Handwash Style, premiered today at Barnet Hospital.

Communications manager at Barnet Hospital Salem Hanna, rewrote South Korean rapper Psy's Gangnam Style to remind staff, patients and visitors about the importance of washing your hands regularly in hospital.

It was sung by sisters Ekaterina and Christiana Botziou and the video was the idea of matron Andrew Daly.

He said the hospital had tried to make the screening feel like a premiere, with posters designed by children in the hospital's paediatrics wards and drinks and popcorn donated by supermarkets.

Mr Hanna, who had been up until nearly 4am editing the video, said: “Gangam Style is a very addictive song. We’ve seen people across the country doing versions and we thought we could do better."

The film will also be shown at Chase Farm Hospital in Enfield tomorrow.