11 January 2008
Hospital trusts that fail to tackle superbug outbreaks will not be granted foundation status, Health Secretary Alan Johnson said this week as he announced a new strategy to control infections.
The document Clean, safe care draws together existing and new initiatives designed to bring down the rate of healthcare-associated infections, such as MRSA and C difficile.
As well as being barred from foundation status, poorly performing trusts will also face additional fines for failing to contain C difficile. This will be over and above the fines the new Care Quality Commission, proposed in the Health and Social Bill now before Parliament, will be able to place on trusts that breach the hygiene code.
All hospitals are expected to have completed a 'deep clean' by March and instigated a 'bare-below-the-elbows' dress code for staff. In February, a national campaign will be launched reminding the public as well as doctors that antibiotics are not effective for many common ailments and that their overuse can lead to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Launching the strategy on January 9, Johnson acknowledged that the issue was of huge concern to the public. 'Patients have my assurance that the government will not take its foot off the pedal and will continue to do all we can to tackle infection,' he said.
'Healthcare-associated infections are everyone's responsibility, from NHS cleaning and care staff to me as secretary of state – and I take that responsibility seriously.'
Infection control is a major priority for the government and an area where there are concerns that public confidence is being eroded. Last October, the chair of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust resigned after the trust was blamed for failing to control an outbreak of C difficile judged to have contributed significantly to 90 deaths.
By 2010/11, the NHS will be spending £270m a year on infection control and cleanliness. Of this, £45m will be made available to recruit specialist staff. Every hospital in England will be able to recruit two infection-control nurses, two isolation nurses and an anti-microbial pharmacist. 'We're not saying every trust has to recruit these staff, but there's enough money there,' Johnson said.
A new Public Service Agreement commits the government to securing reductions of 50% and 30% in MRSA and C difficile infections respectively.
PFjan2008
