In February 2017 Knowlex, working with NHS Improvement, NHS England and Public Health England brought together more than 400 attendees to explore the initiatives around GNBSI and sepsis announced by Jeremy Hunt and Sir Bruce Keogh in 2016
In 2016, Jeremy Hunt proposed plans to halve the number of GNBSIs by 2020 by reducing catheter use and promoting hygiene, particularly hand hygiene. This primarily targets E. coli, which represent 55% of all GNBSIs, due to the bacteria being easily prevented by thoroughly washing hands after using the toilet and before handling food, and by restricting catheter use. In November 2016, Hunt announced a £45 million cash injection that was shared by hospitals to reduce infection rates. Hospitals were asked to reduce E. coli infections by 10% and use antibiotics properly. Hunt wanted to improve transparency by forcing hospitals to display E. coli rates and data on wards. He also wanted hospital staff, patients, and visitors to wash their hands regularly and patients with catheters to be given better care.
The Government’s plans to prevent NHS infections also include:
Since 2016, there has been a new drive in encouraging development of new antibiotics. The UK is leading the international fight against resistance by bringing in tough new targets to limit the inappropriate use of antibiotics. Therefore, hospitals and GP offices are being discouraged from prescribing antibiotics to people who don’t need them, for example prescribing them to people with viruses. They are also being encouraged to highlight the importance of following the given instructions when taking antibiotics, as not taking the full course can lead to future resistance.
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