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Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus: Hospitals

Answer

The key steps which the Department has taken since 1997 aimed at reducing levels of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA):"introduction of mandatory MRSA surveillance: (April 2001, enhanced in October 2005);""““Winning Ways””, (December 2003), which provided a focus for the local national health service on actions that would curb proliferation of antibiotic resistant organisms;""““Towards Cleaner Hospitals””, (July 2004), which summarised effective initiatives and set out an action plan requiring trusts to publish infection rates;""launch of the national MRSA target, in November 2004, to reduce the number of bloodstream infections by half, by April 2008;""the National Patient Agency's ““Cleanyourhands”” campaign (September 2004);""establishing the Department's MRSA/Cleaner Hospitals programme Team (2005), in order to deliver the target and to improve confidence that services are clean and safe;""introduction of an expert ““improvement team”” to offer targeted support to trusts facing challenges with MRSA rates, (the team will double in size this year);""the Saving Lives, toolkit approach to best practice guidance for reducing MRSA, (June 2005; revised and re-issued June 2007);""Health Act 2006 ““Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections”” (October 2006);""““MRSA screening guidance””, (November 2006);""£50 million made available this year, for strategic health authorities' Directors of Nursing to spend on tackling all health care associated infections;""the ““Better Care for All PSA Delivery Agreement””, sets a targets for the period to 2010-11, to keep MRSA bloodstream infections below half the numbers in 2003-04; and""recent announcements (September 2007) about; increased use isolation facilities, introduction of a ““bare below the elbows”” dress code, and matrons'/clinicians' reporting infection control issues to trust boards on a quarterly basis, a new legal requirement being placed on chief executives to report all MRSA bacteraemias to the Health Protection Agency, and every hospital undertaking a deep clean as part of a wider drive for a culture of cleanliness."In addition, we will progress initiatives stemming from the NHS Next Stage Review relating to; tough powers for the new health and adult social care regulator, annual infection control inspections for acute trusts, MRSA screening for all elective admissions next year and for all emergency admissions as soon as practicable in next three years, potential use of rewards and penalties within the commissioning process, and the empowerment of matrons/local staff to report hygiene concerns to the new regulator.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

159522; 465 c1231-2W

Session

2006-07

Subjects

Hospitals MRSA

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk