This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Progress achieved against hospital infections
09/05/2005
A report showing every health board in Scotland has
shown progress in meeting NHS QIS Healthcare Associated
Infection (HAI) standards has been published.
The standards were first reviewed in 2002 and, since
then, significant improvements have been made.
Compliance with accountability standards for clear lines
of management responsibility has improved from 57 per cent
in 2002 to 80 per cent.
Also compliance with infrastructure standards has
increased from 52 per cent in 2002 to 68 per cent.
Health Minister Andy Kerr said:
"I am pleased every NHS Board has made improvements in
meeting NHS QIS infection control standards since the start
of the review in 2002.
"This is a tribute to the hard work put in by infection
control teams around the country, and that is recognised in
the report.
"However, there is still much to be done, and I will be
expecting to see a evidence of further improvement when I
chair the NHS Board accountability reviews.
"Last month, statistics produced by Health Protection
Scotland showed that rates of MRSA infections in Scotland
remain stable.
"But we have to start driving down healthcare associated
infections, including MRSA. That's why we have committed
£15 million for a comprehensive campaign to step up direct
action on the ground.
"We are investing in alcohol-based hand gel to ensure it
is at every bedside which will greatly help to improve hand
hygiene, a proven factor in the spread of HAIs.
"The report shows improvements in meeting standards for
having clear lines of responsibility in the managing and
reporting of HAIs, but there is much further to go.
"We have already started to address this by issuing
clear guidance on leadership roles and responsibilities. We
have also put Sisters/Charge Nurses back in charge of ward
cleanliness.
"Infection control is everybody's business - and that
includes all of us as visitors.
"These are simple rules, old rules, common sense rules -
but we have to relearn them and keep reminding ourselves of
them. Good practice has to become automatic, everyday
practice.
"Scotland has led the UK in this area through the huge
amount of work already carried out by the HAI Task Force.
The burden of HAIs will not improve unless we all act
together, at every level."
Key measures in the infection control campaign
include:
- Every sister/charge nurse to undergo Cleanliness
Champions training in infection control and every
student nurse in Scotland will have the same training
built into their studies
- Alcohol hand washes by every frontline bed in
Scotland
- A reinforced system of accountability for Health
Boards - each with a senior infection control manager
answering directly to the Chief Executive
- Major new research - the most advanced in Europe -
to identify and track down the full range of hospital
bugs. This will enable more effective control measures
and monitoring of progress
Since starting its work two years ago, the HAI Task
Force has provided guidance and policies for cleaning and
infection control, including programmes for education and
training. The National Cleaning Services Specification for
NHSScotland was first issued in September 2003.
Effective action needs to be based on best available
knowledge. Research will be carried out by Health
Protection Scotland in a national prevalence survey to find
out the full extent and types of infection problems in
Scottish hospitals (including MRSA). This will cost an
estimated £560,000 over two years.
The five top tips for hospitals visitors from Scotland's
Chief Medical and Chief Nursing Officer are:
- Think about keeping patients safe before you visit
someone in hospital. If you, or someone you live with
has a cold or diarrhoea, or if you feel unwell, try to
stay away until you're better
- Wash and dry your hands before visiting a hospital
ward, particularly after going to the toilet. If there
is alcohol hand gel provided at the ward door or at the
bedside, use it
- Ask ward staff for advice before you bring in food
or drink for someone you are visiting in hospital
- If you visit someone in hospital, don't sit on
their bed and keep the number of visitors to a minimum
at any one time. Never touch dressings, drips, or
other equipment around the bed
- If you think NHS premises are not as clean as they
should be, let the Sister/Charge Nurse know. If you
think a healthcare worker has forgotten to wash their
hands, remind them about this