DH launches plan to reduce infections

The Department of Health (DH) has released plans aimed at preventing hospital infections.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt cited plans to halve the number of gram-negative bloodstream infections by 2020 at an infection control summit.

The government’s plans to prevent NHS infections include: more money for hospitals making the most progress in reducing infection rates with a new £45 million quality premium; and independent Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspections focusing on infection prevention based on E. coli rates in hospitals and in the community, and taking action against poor performers.

The plans also involve the NHS publishing staff hand hygiene indicators for the first time; displaying E. coli rates on wards, making them visible to patients and visitors in the same way that MRSA and C. difficile are currently; improving training and information sharing so NHS staff can learn from the best in cutting infection rates and appointing a new national infection lead, Dr Ruth May.

Hunt commented: “The NHS can rightly be proud that in the last six years we’ve reduced the number of MRSA cases by 57 per cent and C. difficile by 45 per cent. These aren’t abstract numbers – they show that we have prevented the needless suffering – sometimes fatal suffering – of over 60,000 people in that period. Because every avoidable infection also has a financial cost, we know that progress has also saved the NHS over half a billion pounds.

He added: “Taken together, these measures are intended to achieve a dramatic reduction in hospital infections, reducing enormous human pain and suffering in the process. They will make us better at knowing when to use antibiotics and better at knowing when not to use them. They will save doctors and nurses time, and save the
NHS money. But most of all they will be another vital step in making NHS care something we can all be proud of as the safest and highest quality anywhere on the planet.”

Dr Ruth May, new national infection and prevention lead, said: “This is a clear plan to achieve real change across the NHS focusing on a combination of strict oversight from the CQC and the collection, publication and intelligent use of data which will ensure organisations improve infection control and help us to make sure poor performers get the support they need to improve quickly.”