More collaborative action is needed throughout the NHS if the number of cases of healthcare-acquired infections is to be significantly reduced. This was a message given to delegates attending the Hospital Hygiene conference held recently at ExCeL, London.
Professor Christine Beasley, chief nursing officer, Department of
Health, told delegates on the first day of the conference that lessening was a widespread
belief that hospitals were dirty. People who had used hospitals recently were
likely to perceive the premises had become cleaner. Attention still needed to be
focused on high usage areas such as entrances, A&E departments and lavatories
where cleanliness could still remain unsatisfactory.
Other speakers on the first day included Jean Lawrence, chair of the
Infection Control Nurses Association, and Professor Gary French, professor of
microbiology, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Trust. Jean Lawrence stressed the need
for a collaborative approach to achieving effective infection prevention. She
said infection control was an uncomplicated matter, involving the application
of standard principles. It was paramount that effective hand hygiene regimes
were implemented.
Professor French said there was considerable evidence that routine cleaning
methods did not achieve necessary results and that required was a scientific
review of the methods to ensure satisfactory cleaning performance. The
elevation of hospital hygiene on the political agenda was the single biggest issue
to arise on the second day of the conference. Beginning with a rallying call from
Beverly Malone, general secretary, Royal College of Nursing, for the Government
to incorporate RCN’s “Wipe it out” ten point hygiene plan, the scene was set
for much consensus on the need for action at the highest level.
Other contributions from speakers including Dr Helen Glenister, National
Patient Safety Agency, and Carole Fry, Department of Health, reinforced the requirement
for health policy to adequately reflect the need to protect patients from
healthcare-acquired infections, and calls were made for a coherent national
strategy for infection control that could be universally understood and rigorously enforced. A case study from
Judy Potter, director of infection prevention and control, Royal Devon &
Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, outlined how steps taken to deal with an outbreak
of Clostridium difficile infections
at the Trust demonstrated the need for a collaborative and determined approach
to ensuring patient protection from dangerous infections.
