(c) MRSA Action UK October 2009
Reducing infections in and outside of hospital 2010 and beyond
The Government has recognised that whilst the NHS has achieved reductions in healthcare associated infections nationally, not every organisation has achieved the reductions necessary to make patient safety more assured and other unreported infections remain a challenge. Those that have already done so must continue to reduce infection rates. Primary Care Trusts will agree stretching ambitions in contracts with provider organisations for reducing infection rates and improving cleanliness. Plans must be robust in this respect and must demonstrate, collectively, reduced variation in performance.
There are many challenges ahead if the Government's target of 'no avoidable infections' is to be met, and public confidence increased - collaborative working between all healthcare settings is essential. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 stipulates "Good management and organisation are crucial to establishing high standards of infection control. The systems for the prevention and control of infections associated with healthcare are expected to address:
- leadership;
- management arrangements;
- design and maintenance of the environment and devices;
- application of evidence-based protocols and practices for both users and staff; and
- education, training, information and communication"
"Effective prevention and control of healthcare associated infections has to be embedded into everyday practice and applied consistently by everyone."
MRSA Action UK are available to work with teams from Primary Care Trusts and NHS Hospital Trusts, lending opportunities to discuss effective engagement with patients and carers. We are able to present the patient and carer perspective, discuss care pathways, multi-agency working and patient empowerment. MRSA Action UK's sessions demonstrate how communication is key in working to reduce infections and save lives, and how care pathways can be used as an effective tool in communicating information that is required for patients' safety and ongoing care. The sessions feature good practice and communication tools such as the Lincolnshire Care Pathways Partnership Integrated Care Pathway, and pictorial guide for patients. A tool for patients or residents who transfer between healthcare providers to pass on important information about their infection status and can be downloaded here . To see how your organisation is performing see the monthly Health Protection Agency statistics here. For more information about how we can help please contact us at info@mrsaactionuk.net
MRSA Action UK fully endorses this campaign, soap and water is more effective on many of the viruses and bacteria we commonly face, hand gels are good in clinical care, but nothing beats the efficacy of soap and water, and of course effective handwashing.
We can all play our part in infection control. The easiest way to stop the spread of infection is to have good hand hygiene, this means washing hands regularly throughout the day with soap and water. In addition, there are other measures you can take including not taking antibiotics unneccessarily. NHS East Midlands leads the way with its highly successful hand hygiene campaign, for more information visit
http://www.eastmidlands.nhs.uk/health-campaigns/handinhand/
Infection Control Awareness for "blue light responders"
The control of Healthcare Associated Infections has been one of the greatest challenges for the NHS and the Emergency Services during the past decade. Merseyside Fire & Rescue Services believe that effective infection control shouldn't be confined to hospital environments but requires action by all partners in the public sector, they have risen to the challenge and worked with partners to raise awareness, measures include this training video:
The control of Healthcare Associated Infections has been one of the greatest challenges for the NHS and the Emergency Services during the past decade. Merseyside Fire & Rescue Services believe that effective infection control shouldn't be confined to hospital environments but requires action by all partners in the public sector, they have risen to the challenge and worked with partners to raise awareness, measures include this training video:
Communications and information on healthcare associated infections for staff, patients and carers
The simple guides to MRSA and Clostridium difficile provide clear and easy explanations on these infections. These can be used by communications staff, ward managers and others to help raise awareness about healthcare associated infections with staff and with patients. The infection leaflet template provides healthcare providers with an easy to read summary on infections like MRSA and includes space and options for organisations to tailor their information according to local contact numbers and infection rates. It is important to remember that patients and carers need good communication and information to feel empowered, and need to know what role they can play in preventing the spread of infection and the measures that are necessary for safe care.
View these files here:
A simple guide to Clostridium difficile
Download Infection leaflet template (DOC, 38K)
Source: Delivering Clean and Safe Care, Department of Health
Five moments for hand hygiene
The World Health Organisation have developed the 'Five Moments' for hand hygiene, defining the key points for healthcare workers to clean their hands. The World Health Organisation and the National Patient Safety Agency have developed posters and resources to help illustrate these moments for both acute and community care settings. It is important that anyone involved in delivering healthcare to a patient remembers to wash and gel their hands effectively at the point of care - this includes anyone coming into contact with the patient and their surrounding environment.
Poster/handouts
These posters/handouts are provided for both acute and community trusts with the patient shown in both a bed and a chair.
Five moments - patient in chair
Other resources can be found at www.nhs.uk/fightinginfectionstogether
Clinical procedures - best practice
Ensuring healthcare providers do the right thing to patients every time is fundamental to reducing infection. This applies in all care settings. The Essential Steps are straightforward tools which support staff in doing the right thing every time. Used correctly these tools bring high reliability to key clinical procedures by reducing the risk of infection and increasing safety. Strict attention to hand-hygiene and keeping key parts of equipment aseptically clean is important.
An Aseptic Non-Touch Technique is the method employed to help prevent contamination of wounds and other susceptible sites by organisms that could cause infection, by ensuring that only uncontaminated equipment and fluids come into contact with sterile/susceptible body sites during certain clinical procedures. It should be used during any procedure that bypasses the body's natural defences. Organisms can be transferred from one person to another if techniques to prevent such spread are not adopted.
Guidance on clinical procedures and good practice is downloadable here:
Peripheral intravenous cannula care bundle (PDF, 88K)
Reducing spread of infection (PDF, 311Kb)
Source: Essential Steps, Department of Health
Inter-healthcare infection control transfer policy
The purpose of a transfer policy should be to ensure appropriate communication, placement and safe patient transfers for the prevention and control of healthcare associated infections.
A patient or client who has been confirmed as being colonised or infected with Meticillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE), Extended Spectrum Beta Lactamase (ESBL), Pulmonary Tuberculosis (TB) and gastrointestinal infections with diarrhoea and/or vomiting including Clostridium difficile, should have these details recorded and passed on at transfer.
Patients or clients awaiting laboratory test results to identify infections and/or organisms or who have been in recent contact or close proximity to an infected patient case, should also have these details recorded at transfer.
When transferring patients or clients in either of the above risk groups between wards and departments or to another care setting it is essential to inform the infection control team at the receiving ward or care facility of any infectious conditions, within working hours before the transfer is carried out and before arranging an appointment or ordering transport.
A transfer form must also be completed for all transfers whether the patient presents an infection risk or not, (DH 2008). Essential Steps offers a model risk assessment form and gives scenarios in which it would be used.
Examples of good practice in the North East
North Yorkshire and York Primary Care Trust Infection Control Transfer Form
The Lincolnshire Care Pathways Partnership Integrated Care Pathway, and pictorial guide for patients. A form is also available for patients or residents who transfer between healthcare providers in Lincolnshire and North Yorkshire to pass on important information about their infection status and can be downloaded here
The Care Quality Commission will assess compliance with the requirements set out in the Regulations made under section 20(5) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and provides guidance on how providers can meet the registration requirements relating to healthcare associated infections set out in the Regulations, effective from 1 April 2009.
An inter-healthcare infection control transfer policy will help meet criterion 3 of the Regulations "Provide suitable and sufficient information on HCAI to patients and the public and to other service providers when patients move to the care of another healthcare or social care provider"
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Bedford Hospital lead the way in promoting the first World MRSA Day |
Further Information
You can find out more about MRSA by:
Asking your hospital doctor, or Day Surgery Unit
Asking your GP or Practice Nurse
Telephoning NHS Direct on 0845 46 47
Using the NHS Direct website www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
If you or someone you care about has been affected by a healthcare infection and you wish to discuss this with us, please contact us at info@mrsaactionuk.net
