Making a difference-Infection Prevention

Dr Emma Watson

Consultant Microbiologist

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

Infection Prevention

HCAI: a global problem• At any time, over 1.4 million people

worldwide suffer from infections associated with healthcare

• In developed countries about 5-10% of patients admitted to acute care hospitals acquire an infection*

HCAI: England and Wales

• In England HCAIs are estimated to cause the deaths of at least 5000 patients every year and cost the NHS £1 billion*

• This equates to an infection of a patient every two minutes and the death of a patient every two hours***

Infection is a patient safety problem

13

of HCAIs are estimated to be easily preventable*

The answer is in your hands.

Hands are the main way in which infection is spread so when you clean your hands before and after every patient contact it helps to stop the bugs spreading

YET most healthcare workers clean their hands less than half the number of times they should*

In the North West

Reducing MRSA

MRSA Bacteraemias NW SHA April 06-June08

0200400600800

1,0001,2001,4001,6001,8002,000

MRSA Bacteraemias

Reducing Clostridium difficile

Cases of Cdifficile >65 NW SHA April 06-June08

02,0004,0006,0008,000

10,00012,00014,00016,00018,000

Cases of Cdifficile >65