Dr Gareth Goodier

Dr Gareth Goodier
Dr Gareth
Goodier

When I talk to people about my job, you can guarantee that the subject of infections like MRSA and Clostridium difficile will come up – and rightly so. I know that patients are genuinely concerned that they’ll catch something nasty if they come for a stay in hospital, but it’s important to make sure people understand the reality behind the headlines.

Preventing infections is an issue that affects the whole of the NHS – indeed, it affects hospitals all over the world. At Addenbrooke’s, it’s something that we have made part of everybody’s job, and that commitment is paying off: if you compare 2007 to 2006, our latest figures show a 52% reduction in MRSA bloodstream infections. Since 2004, C. diff cases have fallen by nearly a quarter. This year, the hospital is working towards meeting its target of no more than 50 cases of MRSA – and in the future, we expect to reduce that target to 25 cases.

A significant number of people already carry MRSA on their skin before they come into hospital. If we can identify those patients before they are admitted, or within the first few hours after admission, then we can minimise the chance of the bacteria causing problems.

That’s why we’re now screening everyone who’s expected to come into Addenbrooke’s or the Rosie for more than a day. If you’re due to be admitted for planned surgery, we’ll carry out a simple test a few weeks before your operation. When we know that a patient is MRSA-positive, we can do everything possible to stop the bacteria causing problems – and by admitting the patient to an isolation ward or individual room, we can keep MRSA away from the rest of the hospital. Eventually all NHS hospitals will work like this.

Last summer, we had a surprise inspection of our infection control work by the Healthcare Commission – and I’m delighted to say that they were very pleased with us. What was particularly gratifying about this report was that they visited without warning, so we know that they were judging the way we work on a normal day.

That inspection confirmed that we are already doing well in the fight against these bacteria, but we haven’t won the battle yet. We’ll continue to introduce new and innovative ways of dealing with the problem – but our goal for the future has to be that not a single preventable infection is allowed to develop.

Dr Gareth Goodier
Chief Executive
Addenbrooke’s Hospital

Last updated: 3 February, 2008
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