Edwina Currie points the finger at the North West
for failing on C.Diff

Published by GovToday for GovToday in Health

Friday 18th June 2010 - 3:45pm

Edwina Currie condemns North West Hospitals

Edwina Currie the former Minister for Health and patron of MRSA Action UK has accused North West Hospitals of failing on C.Diff standards. Speaking at a recent Manchester Based GovToday Reducing HCAI's Conference in London, Currie addressed delegates to discuss the implications MRSA has had on members of the Public. Speaking passionately about a number of cases in which deaths had occurred from MRSA, Currie pointed to recent regional figures which showed clearly that the North West is failing on reducing C.Diff.

Addressing delegates Currie said;

You can clearly see that the North West is failing to reduce the number of cases. The figures are so stark, and must worry people from the North West. Why is it the North West is still twice as high as the North East when the Government is saying that all regions, including the North West, have reduced the number of cases of C.Diff in the past twelve months?"

In a passionate speech, the former Minister talked about the victims of C.Diff and how she felt they had been let down by Hospitals who "should ensure patients are treated with the highest standards and not faced with the fear of contracting such a deadly infection".

Referring to the North West again, Currie went on to condemn the overuse of antibiotics in hospitals and communities across the region, saying;

"Is antibiotic usage too wide spread in the north west? I would put money on it!  Let me guess that cleanliness is also a problem in one or two hospitals in the North West"

A number of delegates left the Conference in anger at Currie's comments with one delegate suggesting that Currie was "simply here to cause some controversy and raise the profile of her charity."

However, Currie, known for her controversy, later commented on her speech saying. "The figures clearly demonstrated that the North West is failing on mrsa and cdif, you must remember this is my region. I am not here to cause controversy, but one thing is apparent and that is the Boards within North West Hospitals are clearly not listening or acting fast enough to reduce the number of cases."

Wipe out the superbugs, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley
orders hospitals

By Jason Groves

Last updated at 11:16 PM on 8th June 2010

Hospitals are to be ordered to adopt a zero-tolerance approach to tackling superbugs in attempt to slash the thousands of unnecessary deaths caused by the infections.

In his first speech as Health Secretary, Andrew Lansley yesterday said that all hospitals should move towards eradication of preventable deaths resulting from MRSA, C.diff and other superbugs.

One possibility is that all patients could be routinely tested for MRSA when they arrive for treatment.

Mr Lansley also confirmed plans to impose financial penalties on trusts that readmit patients sent home too soon.

Under Labour, emergency readmissions increased by 50 per cent, but critics fear Mr Lansley's move could backfire, with hospitals keeping patients in for longer than necessary simply to avoid the risk of a penalty.

In a speech in East London, the Health Secretary strongly criticised the former government for its seemingly endless string of superbug targets.

'I have spent too long with too many people who have lost loved ones to healthcare associated infections not to be determined to act on this,' he said.

'There is no tolerable level of preventable infections. The only acceptable strategy is a zero-tolerance strategy.'

Mr Lansley singled out the Royal Berkshire Hospital and the South-East Coast NHS, both of which have committed themselves to a zero-tolerance approach.

'If they can do it, so can others,' he said.

Both organisations are introducing MRSA testing for emergency admissions as well as routine admissions.

But the Department for Health was unable to say last night whether the scheme would be extended nationwide.

Around 3 per cent of people carry MRSA on their body without ill effects. Simple swab tests can pick up the infection, which can then be treated.

The Government has already ordered the weekly publication of MRSA and C.diff infection rates for every hospital in the country.

Officials are now looking at extending the scope of the data to include individual departments or even wards, and other bugs.

Hospital deaths from superbugs soared under Labour despite a string of initiatives to being infection rates down.

In 2008 C.diff was mentioned as a contributory factor in 5,931 deaths, while MRSA was associated with 1,230 deaths.

Derek Butler, of campaign group MRSA Action UK, last night welcomed Mr Lansley's comments, but said more detail was needed on how the policy would work.

He also warned that action to tackle superbugs would have to be extended beyond hospitals to GP surgeries and home care.

Mr Lansley also used yesterday's speech to confirm plans to tackle emergency hospital readmissions.

Under a scheme to be introduced next year, hospitals will not receive funding for the emergency treatment of patients who have been discharged in the previous 30 days.

The move is designed to end the scandal of 1,500 NHS patients a day being returned to hospital after apparently being discharged

too soon. Mr Lansley said Labour's waiting time targets put pressure on hospitals to discharge patients too soon to free up beds.

He indicated that hospitals would receive additional funding for ensuring patients received appropriate treatment in the community following discharge.

But critics warned the move might result in 'unforeseen consequences'.

Dr Hamish Meldrum, of the British Medical Association, said: 'One risk is that we get a situation where decisions about discharge are based not on a judgment about what is best for the patient, but on an attempt to avoid additional costs.

'This could result in patients being kept in hospital longer than necessary.'

The King's Fund think-tank said the scheme would work only if sufficient care in the community was made available.

TRAGIC MOTHER WAS SENT HOME

A mother readmitted to hospital only five days after being discharged died after receiving 'conservative' treatment for a life-threatening illness, an inquest heard.

Donna Maben, 33, was discharged three days after being admitted with a blockage in her bowel which was causing severe sickness and diarrhoea.

 When the symptoms failed to improve, she had to be readmitted.

The inquest at Ashford, Kent, heard that doctors then 'missed opportunities' and it was only when she collapsed that she had surgery - two weeks after first being admitted. She died five days later from blood poisoning.

In a narrative verdict, Coroner Rachel Redman said there had been 'an overreliance on a conservative approach' to treatment.

Patients' weekly watch on worst MRSA hospitals

By GRAEME WILSON

WEEKLY rates of superbug cases were revealed to the public for the first time yesterday - exposing huge differences between hospitals.

Ministers unveiled the statistics on MRSA and C difficile as part of a move to share more information with patients.  They revealed that over the past 12 weeks there were 2,645 new cases of C diff and 183 of MRSA.

Arrowe Park Hosital in Birkenhead Merseyside, reported 53 C diff cases, the highest in the country, including ten in one week.  The University Hospital of North Staffordshire had the second highest total with 44.  A patient died there this year after an outbreak of new superbug ESBL.

But yesterday's figures show the C diff figures were much lower at other big hospitals.  There were only 11 cases at St George's Hospital in South London and 26 at St James's University Hospital in Leeds.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said of the figures: "They will enable people to make meaningful choices.  We want the large amounts of data already collected in the NHS to work for patients, not just managers."  He said all "useful and relevant" information should be published.

Patients' Association director Katherine Murphy welcomed the weekly figures - and said the next step was figures for wards.  But she added; "We have a long way to go as there are many infections not included in these figures.  "We still have infection rates much higher than the best performer in Europe and the world."

Hidden

Derek Butler, of Kirkham, Lancs, set up MRSA Action UK after losing three relatives to the bug.  He said: "Crucially, the figures will be from local hospitals, instead of trusts, which makes the information much more use to patients."

Helen Bronstein's mother Joyce Morrison, 83, died from MRSA in July 2008 at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex.  Helen, 54, of Edmonton, North London, warned: "The real number of infections could get hidden by medics and managers who want to protect the reputation of their hospital."

g.wilson@the-sun.co.uk

Hurt by bug...
victim Joyce and
campaigner Derek

Government to publish weekly infection figures for all English hospitals in transparency drive

By Sophie Borland
Last updated at 9:13 PM on 2nd June 2010

Superbug infection rates are to be published online weekly rather than monthly in an effort to shame hospitals failing to keep patients safe.

Figures for MRSA and C.difficile cases in individual hospitals were made available for the first time today, replacing tables showing the rates for NHS Trusts.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said the move would improve transparency and accountability in all hospital wards.

Campaigners say 'naming and shaming' poor performers is the best way of beating the bugs.

The figures reveal that the worst performing hospital for C.diff rates was Arrowe Park Hospital, in Birkenhead in Cheshire, with an average of 4.4 cases a week.

This was followed by University Hospital of North Staffordshire with an average of 3.7 cases and Nottingham City Hospital with 3.1.

The worst in terms of MRSA bloodstream infection rates were Leicester Royal Infirmary, St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, Surrey, and St James University Hospital in Leeds.

They all had an average of 0.33 cases a week. Derek Butler, chairman of MRSA Action, said that although MRSA and C.diff infections are at their lowest level since records began, fears remain that some areas are not getting to grips with the problem.

'We believe this is a significant step in the right direction and that improving the reporting from Trust level to hospital level will give patients better information on healthcare-associated infections and help them to make a better and more informed choice when planning for surgery,' he said.

The figures are currently available for each week back to March 14, and patients will always be able to look at data for the previous three months.

Infection rates for bugs such as E.coli will be added over time, and the Government has said it will look at whether figures should be provided at a department or ward level.

Mr Lansley said: 'All information that is useful and relevant to patients should be published in an accessible and open way.'

The figures are available on the data.gov.uk website.

MRSA Action UK welcomes the Government commitment to ensuring openness and transparency on hospital superbugs
30th May 2010

MRSA Action UK applauds the Secretary of State for Health Andrew Lansley on his announcement of changing the way data is released on healthcare associated infections.  Whilst the target for MRSA and Clostridium difficile set by the previous administration focused hearts and minds on reducing the very high levels of MRSA and Clostridium difficile in our hospitals, MRSA Action UK always believed that this pledge could be improved further with more transparency.

Creating transparency for patients and the public will ensure that strategies to reduce the burden of infectious pathogens in our healthcare settings are implemented in full, and hospitals that have not been able to bring their infections down will receive the focus needed to bring equality to the high standards of infection prevention and control needed for safe care and help to identify hotspots in a timely manner.  We have no doubt that this will improve standards and save lives.

Implementing strategies to reduce MRSA and Clostridium difficile further, we have always argued, would take a step change from the previous publishing of the figures every three months to on-line real time data, if you don't consistently measure what you are doing, how do you know you are improving?

MRSA Action UK took the campaign to the Department of Health and Health Protection Agency to reduce the three month reporting down to one month, and at the end of last year we were pleased to see this happen.  We had wanted the time-lag reducing even more, and we fully endorse this latest announcement from the Secretary of State for Health to reduce it down to a weekly target.  We believe this is a significant step in the right direction and that improving the reporting from Trust level to hospital level will give patients better information on healthcare associated infections and help them to make a better and more informed choice when planning for surgery.

MRSA and Clostridium difficile however, are not the only healthcare associated infections in our hospitals and we have had grave concerns that other infectious pathogens are slipping under the radar.  We would therefore welcome and endorse the promise that other infections will be monitored and reported in the future.  We believe this is a huge step forward in the fight against all healthcare associated infections, and is long overdue.  It must be remembered that infections of any description have the potential to be debilitating, increase the length of stay in hospital, and sadly sometimes cause patients to lose their lives leaving families devastated. 

We have no doubt that many questions will be asked about the cost of introducing this change in reporting healthcare associated infections.  Vast amounts of money have already been saved along with the lives of many patients with the current reductions in avoidable healthcare associated infections. 

Last year the National Audit Office estimated that between 2004 and 2009 the NHS saved between 45 and 59 million pounds in treatment costs by reducing the rates of MRSA bloodstream infections and between 97 and 204 million pounds from 2006 to the end of 2008 by reducing the rate of Clostridium difficile infections. "There will, too, have been unquantifiable administrative costs and local expenditure on the drive to reduce infections but also potential benefits in terms of better ward management of staff and harm avoided to patients." - Reducing Healthcare Associated Infections in England, 12 June 2009, National Audit Office.

This clearly demonstrates beyond any question that it is worthwhile investing in combating infections in our hospitals.  The United Kingdom currently leads the world in monitoring, reporting and publishing healthcare associated infection data and this new announcement, we believe, will set new standards that will benefit everyone, especially patients.

This is a significant step in achieving a zero tolerance approach to avoidable healthcare associated infections, any healthcare infection is one too many in a civilized society.

Related article:

MRSA Action UK: Healthcare Infections - a manifesto 2010

Published September 2009 revised Monday 12 April 2010 - politics.co.uk

http://www.politics.co.uk/opinion-formers/manifestos/health/mrsa-action-uk-healthcare-infections-a-manifesto-2010-$1370593$1220655.htm

13th April 2010
BBC Somerset Breakfast - Campaign for death certificate reform

Sue Willis and Derek Butler, Chair of MRSA Action UK, join Adam Thomas on BBC Somerset Breakfast and discuss the controversy over inaccurate recording on death certificates.  Sue campaigned for change last year, following the death of her husband and the doctor providing a best guess at his cause of death prior to Sue insisting on a post mortem, the inaccurate cause of death remains on his death certificate.  Sue wants the Government to reconsider their response and stop the practice of doctors best guessing the cause of death, and where inaccuracies have occurred, for example including the mention of MRSA or other bacterial infection, a new death certificate is issued.

NHS relax superbug safeguards for Muslim staff: Women can now cover up with long-sleeved uniforms despite health warning

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 2:05 AM on 12th April 2010

Muslim doctors and nurses are to be allowed to wear long sleeves for religious reasons - despite the risk of spreading deadly superbugs.

The Department of Health will allow female Muslim staff to opt out of a strict NHS dress code to cover their arms and protect their modesty.

But campaigners warn that the NHS is putting lives at risk because guidance that all staff should be 'bare below the elbow' was introduced after long sleeves were blamed for spreading MRSA.

Warning: Campaigners say that the NHS is putting lives at risk because guidance that all staff should be 'bare below the elbow' was introduced after long sleeves were blamed for spreading MRSA

The change has been brought in after some female Muslims objected to being forced to bare their arms on wards. The Department of Health has also relaxed its no jewellery rule to let Sikhs wear their Kara bangles as long as they can be pushed up to the elbow when dealing with patients.

More...

• DAILY MAIL COMMENT: Flexibility is folly as NHS ruling on crucifix shows

The policy is in stark contrast to the treatment of nurse Shirley Chaplin who last week lost her discrimination battle against Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital Trust which claimed the cross she wore round her neck was a 'hazard' in case it scratched patients.

Last night she accused the NHS of 'double standards.' She added: 'What can you say? It seems that life is stacked up against Christians these days.'

Scrubbed up well: Surgeons in short sleeves washing hands before operation

Derek Butler, chairman of the MRSA Action UK, a group headed by respected microbiologist Hugh Pennington, said: 'Anything such as jewellery, long sleeves and ties can harbour bacteria and transfer superbugs to patients. This is why they should be banned for all staff regardless of their religion.'

The new guidance says staff can wear uniforms with long sleeves as long as they roll them up securely above their elbows to wash and when they are on wards.

Those wanting to stay covered up when dealing with patients can use special disposable 'over sleeves.'

A Department of Health spokesman said: 'The overall purpose of the guidance, to ensure patient safety by adherence to good hand hygiene, is not prejudiced by the additional dress options that have now been identified.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1265289/NHS-relax-superbug-safeguards-Muslim-staff-Women-cover-long-sleeved-uniforms-despite-health-warning.html

By Jonathan Petre
Last updated at 1:17 AM on 11th April 201

Muslim doctors and nurses are to be allowed for religious reasons to opt out of strict NHS dress codes introduced to prevent the spread of deadly hospital superbugs.

The Department of Health has announced that female Muslim staff will be permitted to cover their arms on hospital wards to preserve their modesty.

This is despite earlier guidance that all staff should be "bare below the elbow" after long sleeves were blamed for spreading bacteria, leading to superbug deaths.

Scrubbed up well: Surgeons in short sleeves washing hands before operation

The Department has also relaxed its "no jewellery" rule by making it clear that Sikhs can wear bangles, as long as they can be pushed up the arm during direct patient care.

The move contrasts with the case of nurse Shirley Chaplin, who last week lost her discrimination battle against Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital Trust, which said the cross she has worn since she was 16 was a "hazard" because it could scratch patients.   Mrs Chaplin, 55, had worn the silver cross on a necklace since her confirmation. But the employment tribunal told her that wearing a cross was not a "mandatory requirement" of her faith, even though Muslim doctors are allowed to wear hijabs or headscarves.

Last night she said of the sleeve concession to Muslims: "I don't believe my cross is a danger so this is double standards. What can you say? It seems that life is stacked up against Christians these days."

Politicians and Christian leaders, including former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey, added that it showed the Government was prepared to accommodate minority faiths while Christianity was marginalised.

Lord Carey said of grandmother Mrs Chaplin: "The Muslim voice is very strong, so politicians and others are scared of it. We can only deduce that the hostility aimed at her is because she is a Christian."

The revised rules, which health officials insist will not compromise hospital hygiene, were drawn up after female Muslim staff objected to exposing their arms in public.

Since the original guidance was announced by the then Health Secretary Alan Johnson in 2007, many hospitals have insisted that staff involved in patient care wear short sleeves at all times.

Mr Johnson's initiative came amid growing concerns about the number of patients catching superbugs such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile. Hundreds of people have died.

The guidance required staff coming into contact with patients to have their arms bare below the elbows, outlawing the traditional doctors" white coat.

Jewellery, other than plain wedding bands and ear studs, watches and false nails, were also banned to cut down the spread of bacteria. But Muslim doctors and medical students said baring arms conflicted with the Koran's teaching that women must dress modestly in public.

In 2008, several universities reported that Muslim medical students objected to the rules.

Leicester University said some Muslim females "had difficulty in complying with the procedures to roll up sleeves to the elbow for appropriate handwashing", while Sheffield University reported a case of a Muslim medic who refused to "scrub" as this left her forearms exposed.

Birmingham University revealed that some students would prefer to quit their course than expose their arms.

A Muslim radiographer quit at Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading over the issue.

Yet Islamic experts are divided about how Muslim women should dress as the Koran is ambiguous on the matter.

The revised rules, issued on March 26, make clear that staff can wear uniforms with long sleeves as long as they roll them up securely above their elbows to wash and when they are on the wards.

They add that staff who want to cover up completely when dealing with patients will be able to use special disposable "over-sleeves".

The guidance says: "Where, for religious reasons, members of staff wish to cover their forearms or wear a bracelet when not engaged in patient care, ensure that sleeves or bracelets can be pushed up the arm and secured in place for hand-washing and direct patient care.

"In a few instances, staff have expressed a preference for disposable over-sleeves - elasticated at the wrist and elbow - to cover forearms during patient care activity.

"Disposable over-sleeves can be worn where gloves are used but strict adherence to washing hands and wrists must be observed before and after use."

The Department was unable to say last night how much extra it will cost the NHS to provide the disposable sleeves. But 18in polythene over-sleeves are already on offer on the internet for about 7 pounds for a pack of 200.

The Department admitted in its new guidance that it had reviewed its rules because "exposure of the forearms is not acceptable to some staff because of their Islamic faith".

It added: "We recognise that elements of the additional guidance could be seen to be introducing differing requirements for those to whom "baring below the elbows" presents no significant problem.

"We have considered the implications of this possibility but concluded that the overall purpose of the guidance, to ensure patient safety by adherence to good hand hygiene, is not prejudiced by the additional dress options that have now been identified."

Health officials drew up the revised rules on the advice of Islamic scholars and a group called Muslim Spiritual Care Provision in the NHS (MSCP), which is part of the Muslim Council of Britain. 

A working party was set up comprising two Health Department officials, a member of the Health Protection Agency, two female Muslim hospital chaplains, an Imam and two members of MSCP. Yet campaigners for the rights of Christian nurses to wear crosses said the Health Department had failed to consult them adequately.

Mrs Chaplin lost her case on Tuesday despite being backed by the Christian Legal Centre and human-rights lawyer Paul Diamond.

She is not the only nurse to fall foul of health-and-safety laws.

Last year, Roman Catholic Helen Slatter, 43, resigned as a blood collector at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital rather than remove her cross which her bosses said "could harbour infection".

Lord Carey, one of seven bishops to sign a letter supporting Mrs Chaplin at her tribunal, said the Government was guilty of "double standards".

"The NHS, British Airways and all the big companies seem to be tilting in one direction, - he added. "If Muslims are getting these concessions, why not Christians? There should be the same rules for everyone."

Lord Carey, whose wife Eileen is a former nurse, added: "In the case of Shirley Chaplin, she has been wearing her cross for 38 years and it has never injured anyone.

"So the argument for health and safety is very weak, very tenuous indeed."

Derek Butler, chairman of MRSA Action UK, a campaign group headed by respected microbiologist Professor Hugh Pennington, said: "We welcomed the introduction of baring-below-the-elbows because we know that anything - whether it's jewellery, watches or wedding rings - can harbour bacteria which can in turn transfer superbugs between patients.

"My worry is that by allowing some medics to use disposable sleeves you compromise patient safety because unless you change the sleeves between treating each patient, you spread bacteria. Scrubbing bare arms is far more effective.

"I've seen doctors and nurses fail to change their gloves, and I've no doubt this will see exactly the same thing happening. These sleeves are just another risk, and you cannot take risks with patient safety."

Former Tory Minister Ann Widdecombe said: "I don't mind if a Sikh nurse can wear a bangle if a Christian nurse can wear a cross. If you have a rule you have to have it for all.

"There is no evidence that crosses are a serious health-and-safety risk. That is just an excuse to discriminate against people of faith.

"Minority groups are unquestionably getting more sensitive treatment than Christians and this is yet more proof."

Dr Andrew Fergusson, of the Christian Medical Fellowship, which represents 4,000 doctors, said: "For some reason, Christians in health care seem to be particularly vulnerable at the moment."

The Department of Health said: "The revised workwear guidance gives further clarity to frontline staff about the need to have good hand hygiene when in direct patient care. It does not change previous policy.  The guidance is intended to provide direction to services in how they can balance infection-control measures with cultural beliefs without compromising patient safety.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1265136/NHS-relax-superbug-safeguards-Muslim-staff--just-days-Christian-nurse-banned-wearing-crucifix-health-safety-reasons.html#ixzz0km0b9cXY

SUPER-RESISTANT BUG KILLS
HOSPITAL PATIENT

MRSA Action UK issues superbug warning

Monday 29th March 2010

A warning has been issued by MRSA Action UK concerning superbugs in hospitals.

According to the organisation, poor clinical practice is increasing the number of such cases.   It cited research from the Health Protection Agency, which suggested that Clostridium difficile is becoming more acute in community settings.   The inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics was identified as one cause of the trend.   MRSA Action UK - which is a registered charity founded by a group of people who had life-changing experiences or lost loved ones as a result of the infection - suggested that while many cases are taken into hospitals by visitors, not all come from this source.

 

It recommended educating staff, residents and families on what precautions to take in order to prevent and control outbreaks.

Whichever political party wins the next general election - set to take place later this year - needs to make the control of superbugs a priority, the group said.

Written by Martin Lambert

http://www.mediplacements.com/article-19693932-mrsa_action_uk_issues_superbug.html

Edwina Currie speaks at MRSA Action UK annual meeting at Winsford Lifestyle Centre

8:30am Saturday 20th March 2010

By Frances Kindon

A WINSFORD mother who has campaigned tirelessly since her son died of MRSA, got some very special backing on Saturday.

Mavis Law, of Beckenham Grove, lost son Colin to the superbug in 2003, just days before his 33rd birthday.

Heartbroken, she co-founded the charity MRSA Action UK and former Cabinet Minister Edwina Curry, took time out to speak at its annual meeting on Saturday.

Colin was admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham with haemocromatosis - an iron overload that causes severe liver damage.

He was due to stay for five days while he was assessed for a liver transplant, but five days turned into seven weeks.

Mavis said: "We travelled every other day to visit him and noticed that he was becoming more ill each time - his legs were weeping fluid.

"He eventually became bedridden and needed to remain on oxygen, wired up to monitors, drips and a catheter with three lines going into his groin, a line going into his neck and at one point a feeder going into his nose, his lips were cracked and dry and he had bed sores.

"I will never forget our shock and the pain of seeing Colin's face looking at each of us as we tried to hold back our tears whilst the doctor told us that Colin was dying - that all of his organs were failing - and he also had Pneumonia. No-one mentioned MRSA."

Speaking at Winsford Lifestyle Centre on Saturday, former MP Edwina Currie, who is also the charity's patron, called for more to be done to tackle the killer bug.

The one-time junior health minister in the Conservative government of the late 1980s and early 1990, said: "It has been another busy year for MRSA Action.

"Nobody enters hospital expecting to get sicker, yet 9,000 people a year die as a result of MRSA and other healthcare infections. This is a national disgrace."

Mavis is now the treasurer of charity and son Dale sits as the vice-chair. She praised Mrs Currie for her passion and support.

She said: "Mrs Currie has always been an extremely passionate and active supporter of our work and I'm delighted that she was able to come to Winsford and support our AGM.

"Everyone at our AGM has been affected in some way by a healthcare infection and it takes a lot of courage and strength to come and share their experiences with others. I can't thank those here today enough for taking the time to show their support.

"I would also like to thank other organisations such as Weaver Vale Housing Trust and Cheshire West and Chester Council that have come to give their support to our cause today."

(c) Copyright 2001-2010 Newsquest Media Group

http://www.winsfordguardian.co.uk/news/5066846.Heartfelt_thanks_from_MRSA_charity/

Tuesday, 16 March 2010

I found dried blood stains on my girl's sheets... days later she died of MRSA

AN NHS hospital should be a place where lives are saved - not ended prematurely by a superbug.

But despite Labour health spending soaring from 37billion in 1997 to 120billion last year, killer infections such as MRSA and C. diff are rife on wards.

The extra cash has led to the number of medical staff rising by just two per cent - while managers are up ten per cent.

SUN gives the NHS a check-up, highlighting problems politicians need to be tackling

A special YouGov survey of 1,747 adults commissioned by The Sun shows people rate superbugs as one of the NHS's biggest problems.

Here, in Day Two of our NHS health check, three relatives of patients who died of MRSA tell DAVID LOWE and JENNA SLOAN of their heartbreaking experience of the NHS under Labour.

Sue Fallon, 44

UNIVERSITY housekeeper Sue, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs, lost her 17-year-old daughter Sammie to MRSA in May 2008. She says:

 Sammie was diagnosed with auto-immune liver disease when she was 11, and although she had to take medication daily she was healthy and lived a normal life.

She was studying photography at college and loved chatting to pals.

On April 3, 2008, she was feeling poorly after a virus so I took her to North Staffs University Hospital.

Blood tests showed she had an imbalance which needed chemotherapy treatment.

They took a bone marrow sample from her hip and started on the chemo.

The first two wards Sammie was in were filthy.

There were sticky patches on the floors and instead of changing the bedding properly, the nurses just took the bottom bed sheet, put it on top and then put a new one underneath.

I came in once and found dried blood stains on the sheet covering her.

It was also difficult to communicate with the nurses as their English wasn't great.

My mum mentioned the problems to a nurse, but Sammie asked me not to complain as she was worried something would be said to her when she was on her own.

I noticed the wound on her hip where they'd done a bone marrow test had swollen up and I was told she had MRSA on May 1.

I had no idea what it was and a nurse just gave me a leaflet.

But my mum used to be a nurse and the look on her face said it all.

They had done the MRSA test on April 29 and in my opinion she should then have been put in isolation.

There were women on her ward with leukaemia who were at massive risk and Sammie's immune system was weak too.

But instead she was moved into isolation on May 2, where she started getting more and more poorly.

Her kidneys packed up and I couldn't believe my little girl, who'd been quite healthy before her hospital stay, was now unconscious and covered in tubes.

She'd had a great chance of recovery but now the consultant was saying she had just a ten to 20 per cent chance of survival.

She died on May 9.

I miss her terribly and so does her little sister Alex, who is 14.

The Government have not done enough to tackle MRSA.

People think it's gone away but there seems to be a new scandal every day.

I don't want any other mum to go through the pain my family has.  More....

Your hospital survival guide: The ingenious tricks that can save you from superbugs and other hospital disasters

By Matthew Barbour
Last updated at 11:54 PM on 15th February 2010

A trip to the hospital - whichever side of the sheets you're sat - is not meant to be fun, but the prospect of ending up ill as a result of your visit is enough to make anyone afraid.

Hospital-acquired infections are still a major concern. A recent Parliamentary report warned that the NHS has become so focused on MRSA and c.difficile - responsible for just 15 per cent of hospital-acquired infections - that there is a risk of ignoring much more common dangers, such as e.coli, which soared by 33 per cent between 2003 and 2007, to around 22,000 cases.

'The best available evidence is that other - equally deadly, but also avoidable - infections, such as surgical site infections and pneumonias, have increased,' said the report committee chairman Edward Leigh.

But it's not just infections that pose a danger to hospital visits - in 2008 more than 8,000 patients were more malnourished leaving hospital than when they went in.

'Malnourished patients have 30 per cent more complications and a 40 per cent higher mortality rate,' says Dr Mike Stroud, consultant gastroenterologist at Southampton University Hospital.

'This is because when you're seriously ill, your body often needs more energy in the form of calories and vitamins than a healthy person to recover.'

So if you have to venture through those swinging doors, what can you do to make sure you leave in a better state than when you went in?

DOSE UP ON ASPIRIN

Swallowing 300mg daily for three days prior to surgery can halve your risk of developing a deadly infection, according to research from Dartmouth College in the U.S.

It won't help once you've got one of the Staphylococcus infections (which can include MRSA) it can help prevent it in the first place. It works by stopping the bacteria multiplying.

However, you should avoid aspirin if you're already taking any anticoagulant drugs - as aspirin also thins the blood - or if you have a stomach ulcer as it can further irritate the stomach lining, says Sean Woodward, of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

'In high doses it can prevent blood clotting, so don't take any on operation day, without your surgeon's consent.'

It also shouldn't be given to under 16s, as it can cause Reye's syndrome, a rare brain and liver condition, or to asthmatics as it can trigger attacks. 

KEEP VISITORS OFF THE BED

If they truly wish you a speedy recovery, your visitors should take a seat in a chair, not on your sheets.

In a study published in the British Medical Journal, researchers found that a combination of infection-control strategies that included eliminating visitor contact with a patient's bed was able to stop the spread of MRSA and reduce the number of infections by 70 per cent.

'Clothes can carry potentially dangerous bacteria and viruses, yet aren't washed like your hands as you enter a ward,' explains Dr Ron Cutler, microbiologist at Queen Mary University, London.

'Chairs are seldom properly cleaned, so can harbour millions of bacteria, which can be picked up by the hands when sitting down or getting up, so you then transfer those bacteria to sheets when you sit - avoiding contact with a patient's bed has to be at the top of anyone's list.'

ASK FOR AN EARLY MORNING OPERATION

Patients whose procedures started near 9am were four times less likely to have anaesthesia complications - nausea, post-operation pain, fluctuating blood pressure - than those wheeled in around 4pm, according to an analysis of 90,000 operations by U.S. researchers.

Blame fatigue and overbooked doctors arriving late to the operating theatre, they suggest.

WASH YOUR HANDS

The infection risks from sharing a bathroom are obvious. What isn't so apparent is the risk you pose to yourself.

'More often, organisms that cause infections come from the patient's own home-grown bacteria,' explains Dr Ron Cutler.

Regularly throughout the day, as well as after every trip to the loo, wash your hands with antibacterial soap and hot water for a full minute.

'It won't kill bugs, but it will help dislodge them, so there's less chance of them entering your system,' Cutler says.

'Most importantly, always dry your hands completely after washing, as any lingering moisture can harbour harmful viruses and bacteria.'

While washing every hour is a sensible plan of action, be especially wary every time you've touched door handles or are about to eat, he adds.

TAKE A PHOTO OF YOUR DOCTOR

You will see countless doctors, nurses and other people during the course of a day, so it's important to know exactly who the doctor in charge of you is.

Grab your camera phone and take a picture of him. In a recent study published in The Lancet, researchers found that patients with a snapshot of their doctor were better able to identify them.

This, in turn, helped cut down on the number of medical mistakes caused by patients giving information to the wrong medical personnel, who might not spot relevant changes in your condition or give misleading advice.

'Make sure everyone who talks to you identifies themselves, and convey changes in your condition only to the doctors and nurses involved in your case,' says Gail Van Kanegan, an advanced practice nurse and author of How To Survive Your Hospital Stay.

DON'T TOUCH THE TOYS

Any children coming to visit need to be kept away from toys littering the waiting room.

When University of Nottingham researchers swabbed the surfaces of 12 toys in an intensive-care unit, they found half of them swarming with various strains of bacteria, including staphylococcus aureus (linked to everything from minor skin ailments to pneumonia and meningitis).

'Bacteria and skin cells from patients are easily transferred to objects like toys, magazines and books, which, unlike medical equipment, aren't cleaned frequently,' explains researcher Dr Jacqueline Randle.

'Just because it's not actually used during surgery, don't assume it's not a danger.'

DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

Hydration equals healing. 'In order for the body to heal, the cells must have sufficient amounts of water,' says Dr Ron Cutler.

'If you're dehydrated, you're at risk of infection, pressure sores, electrolyte imbalances in your blood that can leave you feeling nauseous and weaken your immune system, heart irregularities and other complications, especially if you're older. Dry airways also give harmful bacteria open access.'

Aim for two litres of fluids a day in the two weeks before your hospital visit and keep topped-up with the same intake during your stay.

COVER THE STETHOSCOPE

While your doctor's checking your heartbeat, millions of bacteria are going on to your body - so ask them to sanitise the stethoscope first.

Just as effective: a disposable latex glove over its round bit, or an antimicrobial coating called AgIon (ask - they'll know what you're talking about, as it is a standard product used in hospitals).

Similarly, while a small percentage of healthcare workers are compulsively clean, 'others wash their hands only when they think they've got them dirty,' says Gail Van Kanegan.

Ask for a pump dispenser of alcohol-based sanitiser for your bedside table - the staff will get the hint, as will your friends and family.

This is particularly important before any procedure that breaks your skin, from an injection to a minor operation, says Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University.

'Insist the GP or nurse cleans their hands with the sanitiser and check the equipment is sterilised.'

EAT MORE

If you've noticed any weight loss before or during your hospital visit - rings become loose, your belt needs to be tighter - increase your calorie intake with nutrient and energy-rich foods to avoid malnutrition.

'Your body needs more energy than usual to repair and fight off bugs, so opt for full-fat milk, butter, fill up on carbohydrate-rich foods such as pasta and always have pudding,' says Eileen Steinbrock, of the British Dietetic Association.

'Too many elderly people live off bread and butter and tea because they don't cook for themselves, which means they often enter hospital with a calorie deficit - it's much better to worry about your weight when you're fit and well than to take risks.'

Men should aim for at least 2,500 calories a day, and women at least 2,000 calories, including three main meals, snacks and plenty of fluids.

ASK FOR ANOTHER BLANKET

On the morning of your operation, clip all your nails short (minimising the chances of bacteria hiding underneath), then have a 15-minute piping-hot shower, using antibacterial soap to scrub every nook and cranny of your body, advises Derek Butler of the campaign group MRSA Action UK.

Try Boots Antibacterial handwash (99p), containing ticlosan, an antibacterial chemical used in many cleaning products.

Before you go under anaesthesia, ask for an extra blanket for your bed.

The combination of a cold operating room and anaesthesia can lead to mild hypothermia, which can slow the post-operation healing process.

TAKE AN APPLE (BUT REMEMBER TO WASH IT FIRST)

DO YOUR PREP
Before going under the knife, find out the infection rates of the hospital you�re being booked into, advises Derek Butler of the campaign group MRSA Action UK.

Under the new "Book and Choose" system, it's your right to choose any hospital in the country or, if you can't get surgery in the required time, even to go abroad, with the NHS paying," he explains.

Find out all comparative infection data at NHS Direct, NHS Choices, or at mrsaactionuk.net which updates the latest figures monthly. "In my experience, GPs can be very reluctant for you to go anywhere other than the local hospitals where they trained, but don't take no for an answer if you're not satisfied," adds Butler.

GIVE UP SMOKING

Smoking reduces the amount of oxygen carried in your blood, which means you not only heal slower - so you'll be stuck in hospital longer - but your immune system is weakened, leaving you more vulnerable to any nasty bugs around the ward.

In fact, according to one U.S. study, smoking just ten cigarettes a day in the two weeks preceding a hospital operation can increase your length of stay by up to a third.

Another study found that cigarettes also contain large numbers of bacteria linked to lung, blood and food-borne infections, which the authors believe can survive the smoking process to enter your system. Quit, and in just six months your blood will be restored back to its full healing potential. 

PACK WELL

"Pack a bag with a change of clothing, two sets of pyjamas and slippers, all wrapped in clean carrier bags to keep them free of dirt, along with awash kit, two toothbrushes (one for pre-op use and one for post-op, to reduce the risk of infection), and plenty of washed fruit to keep your energy reserves up - don't assume others will bring it for you," Butler adds.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1251327/Your-hospital-survival-guide-The-ingenious-tricks-save-superbugs-hospital-disasters.html

Rising obesity prompts higher antibiotic doses call

Emma Wilkinson

Health reporter, BBC News

Friday, 15 January 2010

Patients may have to be prescribed higher doses of antibiotics because of rising rates of obesity, say doctors.

The standard "one-size fits all" dose may not clear infection in larger adults and increases the risk that resistance will develop, they argue.

More work is needed to guide GPs on how and when to alter doses, an editorial in The Lancet to accompany the study by doctors from Greece and the US says.

GPs said it was an interesting theory but may end up being expensive.

Around one in four adults in England is classified as obese - an increase from 15% in 1993.

Patients are getting taller and larger and it does seem right that patients are given the appropriate strength of drug

Professor Steve Field, Royal College of GPs

Given the fact people are getting larger, use of standard doses of antibiotics in all adults, regardless of size, is outdated, argue two doctors from Greece and the US.

Size and even the proportion of body fat a person has, can affect the concentration of antibiotics in the body, potentially reducing how effective they are in larger patients, they say.

And failure to clear an infection because too small a dose is given may raise the risk of resistance - already an increasing problem for doctors.

Likewise, smaller than average patients may get too much drug, and suffer greater side-effects as a consequence.

Guidance

An accompanying editorial said dose adjustments could easily be made if research was done to guide doctors in treating obese patients.

Professor Steve Field, chair of the Royal College of GPs said he would encourage "appropriate" antibiotic prescribing and lots of patients are given them unnecessarily.

But he added: "Patients are getting taller and larger and it does seem right that patients are given the appropriate strength of drug.

"However, this might cost a lot of money because pharmaceutical companies would have to provide different doses of medication.

"At the moment, most come in two strengths and we would not want to see an increase in costs."

He added that GPs will already use their judgment to alter medication doses where necessary.

Professor Hugh Pennington, an expert in antibiotics from the University of Aberdeen, said antibiotics would differ in how size altered their effectiveness.

"But studies on this would not be hard to do.

"If you have too little of a drug it's not going to be good for treating the infection but it also raises the possibility that the organism will become resistant.

"They're such powerful drugs, we want to make sure we are using them properly."