NICE publishes guide on the prevention of HAIs
Makes recommendations on actions that can be taken
Although major improvements have been made in infection control within the NHS in the UK, particularly in relation to Clostridium difficile and MRSA, healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) are still a threat to patients, staff and visitors and place a significant financial burden on the NHS.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has therefore published a quality improvement guide on the prevention and control of HCAIs in secondary care settings, which offers advice on actions that can be taken to control them.
The guide is aimed at board members working in (or with) secondary care. It may also be of use to senior managers, those working elsewhere in the NHS, as well as those working in local authorities and the wider public, private, voluntary and community sectors.
The guide consists of 11 quality improvement statements that could help NHS trust boards prevent and control HAIs. They recommend that:
- Trusts have a surveillance system in place to routinely gather data and to carry out mandatory monitoring of HCAIs.
- Trusts ensure there is clear communication with all staff, patients and carers about HCAIs, infection risks, and how to prevent them.
- Trusts ensure that standards of environmental cleanliness are maintained above the national minimum requirement.
- Trusts work in multi-agency collaborations with other local health and social care providers to reduce risk from infection.
Professor Mike Kelly, director of the Centre for Public Health Excellence at NICE, said: “HCAIs are still a very real threat to patients, staff and visitors. Indeed, evidence suggests there is wide variability in Trusts’ success in reducing the impact of HCAIs. Therefore, it is important that there is advice in place that can help Trusts achieve excellence in management and organisational practices in order to prevent and control infections.
“Based on the best available evidence in this area, the guide illustrates how secondary care organisations can take a whole system approach in tackling the problem. The guide is aspirational and aims to engage Trust boards and clinicians to improve the quality of care and practice in the area of infection prevention and control over and above current mandatory standards.”
Professor Roger Finch, consultant in Infectious Diseases, Nottingham University Hospitals Trust and chairman of the Topic Expert Group which developed the advice, commented: “The nature of HCAI is complex and demands leadership and systems that are supportive and continuously refined. These quality improvement statements take an organisation-wide approach to support hospital Trusts achieve excellence and meet the high public expectations of healthcare delivery.”