The seventh annual Healthcare Associated Infections conference, held at Westminster, London, examined the tools and techniques being employed to reduce healthcare-associated infections, sustain progress, and drive forward the Department of Health’s goal of ensuring zero tolerance. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.
The National Audit Office’s report: “Reducing Healthcare Associated Infections in Hospitals in England” suggested that although progress has been achieved in relation to MRSA and Clostridium difficile, the Department of Health has “taken its eye off the ball” regarding other healthcare-associated infections, which are equally serious and constitute four-fifths of all infections.
Providing an overview of the current state of play, Karen Taylor OBE, National Audit Office, reported that investment in reducing HCAIs in the NHS was paying dividends – while annual expenditure on infection control reached £120 million, in 2007-2008, the savings achieved by reducing MRSA and C. difficile are estimated to total £141 million.
She pointed out that, at the start of the millennium, infection control was the “Cinderella of Cinderella services” and there was very little robust information available on incidence. However, resources dedicated to cleaning and infection control have now increased and managing HCAIs is now seen as a priority by hospital Trusts’ leadership teams; staff feel that boards are taking the lead in tackling the issue and infection control teams have identified this as an important factor in driving improvement.
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