Work centred on healthcare associated infection

Healthcare associated infection remains one of the most pressing safety issues facing our health services.

Rates of MRSA bloodstream infections in England are reducing overall and Clostridium difficile disease rates are now rising less quickly. (Clostridium difficile is a healthcare-associated infection that can cause diarrhoea, which in severe cases, leads to more serious conditions and occasionally death.) Although there have been improvements, figures from the Office for National Statistics show that MRSA was mentioned in one out of every 500 death certificates issued in England and Wales between 2001 and 2005. Clostridium difficile was mentioned in one out of every 250.

The Hygiene Code

In June 2007, the Healthcare Commission launched a programme of unannounced inspections at 120 NHS trusts to check their compliance with the Hygiene Code. The code came into force in October 2006 and gave us new powers to make sure that trusts are doing all they can to reduce rates of healthcare-associated infection.

The code draws in all aspects of infection control – not only cleanliness – to affect “board to ward” responsibility for reducing rates of healthcare-associated infection and protecting the safety of patients and the public.

The unannounced inspections are part of a programme of work, which builds on the experience we gained from our national study into healthcare-associated infection and the “Cleanliness Audit”, 2005.

See below for more information about these areas of work:

The Hygiene Code (including inspection reports)

Assessment through the annual health check

National study of healthcare associated infection (published 25th July 2007)

Outbreaks of Clostridium difficile

Cleanliness of hospitals in England

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