Home | A-Z | About us | News | Jobs | Travel & maps | Search | Contact | Calendar

News & events

MRSA rates on the way down

Infection control is something that we take very seriously at Addenbrooke's, and achievements have been made in reducing hospital-acquired infections by promoting effective hand hygiene and improving hospital cleanliness.

Although progress in reducing the number of MRSA infections has been gradual, the figures are showing a downward trend and we are seeing a year-on-year decrease.

With a team of three microbiologists and five full-time infection control nurses we are able to screen a greater number of patients. As part of a Health Protection Agency pilot scheme, we record when and where the infection was acquired - whether at Addenbrooke's or at another hospital or in the community - and the type of illness the patient is suffering from. As a result, our reported figures are extremely accurate.

Fighting MRSA and other hospital infections is a long-term commitment. We have a range of initiatives in place to help reduce infection, which includes a robust procedure for identifying, recording and treating hospital infections, and we are continually working with ward staff, microbiologists and infection control specialists to find ways of reducing MRSA and other hospital infections still further.

Measures that help us reduce the rate of infection include:

• An excellent infection control team with three full-time consultant microbiologists, five full-time infection control nurses and a part-time audit and surveillance nurse. This service is run in partnership with the Health Protection Agency.

• Working with the Health Protection Agency, we are a pilot site for an enhanced surveillance system, which thoroughly screens process to determine the cause of the infection, the type of infection, and how and where patients contracted it. This will help us to tackle all hospital infections.

• Alcohol-based hand gel has been introduced into all areas, including entrances to wards, entrances to all bays and by every bedside, and notices have been displayed requesting all staff and visitors to use the gel on their entry and exit.

• A thorough cleaning programme for clinical areas is ongoing.

• Disposable bed curtains have replaced fabric ones in most ward areas.

• Patients, visitors and staff are doing all they can to help fight infection, encouraged by our ‘together we can fight infection’ campaign.

• Patients and visitors are encouraged to:
  
  - use the hand gel to clean their hands when they enter and leave a ward
  - tell staff if they notice that the hand gel is running low
  - keep the bed areas clutter free to help us clean around the beds properly
  - keep visitors to minimum
  - remember that beds are for patients only – visitors should not sit on them
  - remind staff to wash their hands before and after every contact with patients
  - report any spillages or problems
  - ensure that visitors stay away if they have an infection and not to visit until completely better

• Questions and answers about infection control and MRSA are available on a patient information sheet and on our website.

• Advice leaflets on what patients and visitors can do to assist us in preventing acquisition and transmission of infection are available on all wards.

• Policies on hand hygiene, dress code and uniforms, personal protective equipment, bed space, and bathrooms have been revised and promoted to staff using our Take 5! campaign, which sets out our standards for a clean and safe hospital.

• Infected patients are cared for in dedicated areas (we have always done this).

Also on this website:

Together we can fight infection:

How to help us fight infection

Frequently asked questions about methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

Take 5! campaign

Your Governors Working for you: MRSA and infection control - 26 October 2004

On other websites:

Health Protection Agency

June 2005

For further press/media information contact: PR & Communications Department, Box 53, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ; Tel: 01223 274 433; Fax: 01223 257 143; Minicom: 01223 274 604.