Learning hard lessons on infection control
By Alexis Nolan
It is not really a sentiment that anyone involved can express, but Stoke Mandeville Hospital was, arguably, unlucky.
This may seem an unpalatable or heartless sentiment to express when one considers that 33 people died in two outbreaks of Clostridium difficile at the hospital between October 2003 and June 2005, but the trust’s rate of healthcare-acquired infection is nowhere near the worst in the NHS.
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Health Protection Agency – Clostridium difficile
Health Protection Agency – MRSA
Investigation into outbreaks of Clostridium difficile at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Buckinghamshire Hospitals NHS trust
Healthcare Commission, July 2006
MRSA six-monthly data April 2001-March 2006
Health Protection Agency
MRSA annual data April 2001-March 2006
Health Protection Agency
C diff yearly data Jan 04 to Dec 05
Health Protection Agency
Department of Health
NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement priority programme
27th July 2006
Hygiene - Take the initiative in infection control
Conwy and Denbighshire trust is involved in the Health Foundation’s Safer Patients initiative, and through this we are working with the US-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement on a wide-ranging change package that aims to reduce preventable adverse events. One of the areas we are looking at is how to reduce infection rates.
Through a systematic spread strategy, together with extensive clinical engagement, we are seeing some impressive sustainable results.
For example, in intensive care we have introduced a range of interventions which have led to improvements in infection rates. We have also seen a reduction in time on assisted ventilation and a reduced average length of stay.
Unanticipated outcomes include a reduction in mortality rates, decreased tracheostomy rates and patients reporting fewer nightmares. Despite 20 per cent more patients being treated, the cost saving on drugs has been over £100,000 over 18 months.
We have achieved over 95 per cent compliance with hand-washing in our pilot areas and this is now being spread trust-wide.
As part of a patient safety awareness week, we invited entries for a slogan to reflect our campaign. A member of the public came up with the winning entry: ‘Patient safety is contagious - pass it on!’
The Health Foundation has now launched the second phase of the initiative and up to 16 hospitals will be selected to join in November.
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Conwy and Denbighshire trust is involved in the Health Foundation’s Safer Patients Initiative and through this it is working with the US-based Institute for Healthcare Improvement on a wide-ranging change package that aims to reduce preventable adverse events. One of the areas it is looking at is how to reduce infection rates.
Safer Patients Initiative - 2006
