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MRSA

Answer

Although the national health service has made significant reductions in the number of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemias (bloodstream infections), this Government are determined to do all they can to support the health and adult social care providers to make further improvements. From the outset, through the coalition agreement, this Government made clear that they expected the NHS to adopt a zero tolerance approach to all health care associated infections (HCAIs), including MRSA.The ““NHS Operating Framework 2011-12””, published in December, requires the NHS to continue prioritising the achievement of the MRSA Objective, as well as the new Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) Objective. These Objectives, through their successful implementation, will have a significant impact on reducing variation by moving all organisations towards the performance of the best and consequently will at the same time reduce numbers at a national level.We have also, from the end of December 2010, extended the previous requirement for the NHS to screen all relevant elective admissions to also include relevant emergency admissions.To support the wide availability of data to help drive further reductions in MRSA, we have introduced weekly publications of data for both MRSA bloodstream infections and C. difficile infections at hospital-site level.We are also committed to ensuring that the NHS continue to have access to evidence-based guidance in order to reduce the number of all HCAIs, including MRSA, through the implementation of effective infection prevention and control practices. As part of this commitment, a comprehensive suite of updated guidance was published on the Department's ““Clean, Safe Care”” website on 6 January 2011.The Health and Social Care Act 2008 ““Code of Practice for health and adult social care on the Prevention and Control of Infections and related guidance””, which the Care Quality Commission use as a basis for assessing compliance with the registration requirement on cleanliness and infection control, has been a driver for improvement in the hospital setting. We extended the scope of the Code to adult social care settings from October 2010 and will include primary care in due course so that we can ensure that all settings where patients receive care and treatment operate comparable infection prevention and control practices.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

36067; 522 c375-6W

Session

2010-12

Subjects

MRSA

Link

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