On 27 March the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) will facilitate a workshop, sponsored by Sidara, and held at the latter's central London headquarters, which will bring together experts from across the construction and infection prevention professions to address mitigating infection risks in hospital design and construction.
Seeking ‘to foster collaboration and create actionable solutions’, and titled ‘Tackling the silent pandemic of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) and other Healthcare-Associated Infections (HCAIs) in the Healthcare Built Environment’, the workshop will be held from 9.00 am-12.00 pm, and will aim to:
- Investigate recurring issues and their root causes.
- Encourage open dialogue under Chatham House rules to share experiences.
- Develop a roadmap with practical recommendations for improving infection prevention in healthcare construction.
HIS said: “The global rise in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is worsened by poorly designed and maintained hospital water systems, which facilitate the spread of drug-resistant pathogens. Flaws in design and construction can turn healthcare facilities into hotspots for AMR superbugs. Against this backdrop, IPC professionals are emphasising the urgent need for collaboration between healthcare and construction professionals.
“We’d encourage experienced experts from infection prevention, construction design, estates, procurement, architecture, engineering, project management, and related fields, to express an interest to participate in this invite-only workshop. Its findings will be compiled into a white paper for organisations tasked with building new healthcare facilities.”
HIS says several hospitals have been associated with infrastructure problems leading to infections, some of which resulted in fatalities.
If you are interested in attending this workshop, or receiving a copy of the whitepaper, sign up here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B5PQSNK
