Hospitals must spread best practice on reducing MRSA - Chief Nursing Officer, UK

Main Category: MRSA / Drug Resistance
Article Date: 20 Jan 2005 - 10:00 PDT

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UK Chief Nursing Officer Christine Beasley today chairs a 'Learning from the Best' conference attended by 80 people involved in infection control from hospitals at home and abroad, to help share good practice that has proved effective in reducing MRSA.

Chris Beasley said:

"It is clear there is no single solution to driving down infection and we need a whole package of measures to combat MRSA. The event today will help the sharing of practical advice from many different staff and many different hospitals. I am very optimistic that with the support of all those in NHS hospitals, from Chief Executives all the way up to those working on the ward, and with the right measures in place, we can make a difference and bring about a significant improvement in patient care.

"There is lots of good work already being done by all in the NHS to control infection and this must be shared, not done in isolation. By meeting today we can help ensure that infection control throughout the NHS is brought up to the level of the very best. I want to agree a set of measures for immediate action based on the evidence we will see today."

The list of measures is likely to include actions already being carried out in many areas of the NHS:

- Improving surveillance on which area of the hospital bacteraemia occurs in and what types of patient are most at risk

- Improving clinical protocols for devices such as catheters and canulae (surgical instruments that are intravenously fitted to patients) - Improving Aseptic techniques (guidelines for wound dressing, surgical sites etc)

- Ensuring all general hospitals sign up to the cleanyourhands campaign if they are not already applying a similarly robust approach to hand hygiene.

- Good management of the movement of potentially infected patients

- Ensuring that responsibility for infection control runs right up to Chief Executive and Board level

The 'Learning from the Best' event, held at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London, will include an English perspective on the challenge of MRSA given by Prof. Gary French from Guy's and St. Thomas's Trust and an American perspective from Prof. Don Goldmann, Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

Sessions on effective practice in reducing the risk of MRSA bacteraemia will be led by Prof. Brian Duerden, Inspector of Microbiology and Infection Control. An international perspective will be given by Dr. John Boyce, Hospital of St. Raphael, New Haven, Connecticut and Dr. Margreet Vos, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam.

Peter Wilson, Consultant Microbiologist, University College London Hospitals (UCLH), said:

"UCLH has already achieved a 69% reduction in the number of blood infections with MRSA compared with the average rate in 2003. By following up patients after surgery at UCLH with our wound surveillance team we have improved monitoring and seen a 50% drop in wound infection in some specialties. MRSA in particular has been reduced.

"Personal alcohol hand gel bottles worn on the belt have now been introduced to speed up the process of hand hygiene and help staff to keep hands free of MRSA. Patients coming to the hospital for elective surgery are increasingly being screened for MRSA before admission so treatments can be used to reduce MRSA on the skin and prevent wound infection."

Tracey Cooper, Consultant Nurse in Infection Control at Southampton & SW Hampshire, said:

"Southampton has taken a series of measures including infection control training for domestic staff and all staff new to the Trust, appointing clinical staff to link in to the infection control team and working with the University to strengthen the infection control part of the curriculum for new professionals. The causes of hospital infection are complex and not all infection is avoidable but the clinical staff, the Infection Control Team and Trust management continue to work together to improve standards."

Jean Lawrence, Chairperson of the Infection Control Nurses Association, said:

"It is vital that we all share best practice and get the best information on infection control. It's about asking questions like ' what are you doing' and 'how best can we learn from you'? This event will be helpful as it should help to improve the communication system for everyone involved in healthcare."

Notes for Editors

1. For more details on all recent Government action on tackling infection and healthcare associated infections, CLICK HERE.

2. 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. 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.

3. 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.

4. For further media enquiries please contact Ben Lewis on 020 7210 4990 or Claire Rich on 020 7210 5238

GNNREF: 109210
Issued by : DOH Press Office

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