NHS steps up the fight against hospital infections, UK

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Article Date: 15 Oct 2004 - 16:00 PDT

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The first national conferences for NHS Directors of Infection Prevention and Control were held this week in Leeds and London. The Directors are responsible for tackling problems of hospital infection and reducing rates of MRSA.

At the conference in Leeds, the Directors are being briefed on their new powers to ensure local action. They will:

-- challenge hygiene practice and prescribing decisions;

-- increase training;

-- enforce rigorous procedures for hand hygiene;

-- ensure the sterility of invasive equipment such as catheters.

These powers will deliver effective infection control at hospital and ward level. The Directors are enthusiastic about their new roles and are keen to form a national network for Infection Control to back up the work they will be doing locally, so they learn from best practise in other hospitals.

The Directors are clearly aware of the importance the Government attaches to reducing rates of MRSA and improving infection control. This is underlined by the new national target that Health Secretary John Reid has set which orders every hospital to cut MRSA rates year on year.

Health Secretary, John Reid, said:

"Everyone has a role to play in tackling MRSA - cleaners are as important as consultants. This conference is part of an NHS-wide campaign to reduce levels of hospital infections to the lowest possible levels. To achieve this, we need to drive home the fact that prevention is everybody's business; not just the specialists."

Notes to editor

1. The Director of Infection and Prevention post was announced in the action plan for tackling MRSA, Winning Ways, published by Sir Liam Donaldson, Chief Medical Officer, last December. Each Director now leads a dedicated team of infection control experts and nurses, whose job includes ensuring hygiene policies are followed and act quickly to stamp out outbreaks of infection.

2. Every hospital now has someone in their top team personally accountable to the Chief Executive for cutting healthcare associated infections, including MRSA, rates. Individuals may be the hospital's medical director or an existing member of the hospital's senior teams - the important point is they are responsible for ensuring the hospital does everything it can to cut healthcare associated infection rates.

3. Winning Ways is available from the link provided:

4. Towards Cleaner hospitals and lower rates of infection is available from the secound link provided:

For Media enquriries ONLY please contact the department of health media centre:

Related links

Towards cleaner hospitals and lower rates of infection: A summary of action

Winning ways: working together to reduce healthcare associated infection in England

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