Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
Your industry news - first
The original and best - for over 20 years!
We strongly recommend viewing Cleanzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.
New Year ambitions to reduce healthcare associated infections
New ambitions have been set for the National Health Service which build on the progress made on infections last year, Health Minister Simon Burns has announced.
If delivered, there would be a further 29% reduction in MRSA bloodstream infections and a further 18% reduction in Clostridium difficile infections by April 2013 - bringing annual numbers of MRSA bloodstream infections down to 880 and reducing Clostridium difficile infections from 19,754 to 16,100.
The latest monthly statistics show that, for the first time since mandatory surveillance began in 2001, MRSA bloodstream infections across the NHS have been sustained at under 100 reported cases per month for the last six months.
MRSA numbers are continuing to decrease, with 86 bloodstream infections reported across the NHS in November 2011. On average there is now less than one MRSA infection per primary care trust (PCT) each month.
35 NHS organisations had been free from MRSA bloodstream infections for 12 months in November 2011 according to Health Protection Agency data. This is more than double the 14 organisations who achieved this in May 2010 and just 4 trusts were free from MRSA in September 2006.
Announcing this 'New Year resolution', Health Minister Simon Burns said:
"There has been great progress in reducing MRSA bloodstream and Clostridium difficile infections in some parts of the NHS, but we want everyone at the level of the best.
"This progress shows the impact that our drive for greater transparency and strict infection control measures can have to prevent avoidable infections and help provide a clean and safe environment for patients. But there is still more to do to before we have achieved our objective of zero tolerance for all avoidable healthcare associated infections and it is vital that we continue to reduce variation across the country.
"That is why we have set each Trust their own objective - to drive further improvements, particularly in the organisations with the highest rates of MRSA bloodstream and C. difficile infections."
This contributes to the Prime Minister's commitment last week to focus on improving quality in the health service and ensure that every patient is cared for with compassion and dignity in a clean environment.
The healthcare associated infection statistics between November 2010 and November 2011 can be found on the HPA website:
19th January 2012