Following the relocation of Royal Papworth Hospital to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus in 2019, an increase in surgical site infections (SSIs) prompted a comprehensive, multidisciplinary investigation. While the initial rise was attributed to environmental transition, further analysis revealed a complex web of contributing factors. Eleonora Iervella discusses how a pioneering new role has made a significant impact.
This article presents the introduction of a pioneering role, the Surgical Pathway IPC Nurse, designed to address a critical gap in perioperative infection control by providing consistent leadership across the entire surgical journey. Since the role's implementation, the hospital has seen significant improvements in communication, education, and staff engagement, alongside a 59% reduction in SSIs (from 9.5% to 3.9%).
By highlighting key lessons learned, targeted interventions, and organisational challenges, this article argues for the adoption of the Surgical Pathway IPC Nurse as a national best practice to close longstanding gaps in IPC governance within surgical care.
Royal Papworth Hospital is a specialist cardiothoracic centre, internationally recognised for its expertise in heart and lung transplantation, pulmonary thromboendarterectomy (PTE), and respiratory Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO). In 2019, the hospital relocated from Papworth Everard to the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, aiming to enhance patient outcomes through advanced infrastructure and closer academic collaboration.
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