Here at Spire Regency Hospital, we have an excellent health care acquired infection rate with less than 1% of total discharges having a post operative infection (data collected from 2008 figures).
Since the hospital was opened in 1991, Regency has never had a hospital acquired case of MRSA bacteraemia or Clostridium difficile.
During 2008, Spire Healthcare has joined the Health Protection Agency Surgical Site Infection Data Collection scheme which enables us to monitor those patients who have had either a hip or knee replacement to see whether they have had any problems with wound healing or infection post operatively.
The data that is collected is then passed on to the Health Protection Agency and used to see if there are any trends that need to be investigated to ensure that these infections are reduced. The data will then be published alongside the NHS to ensure a fair comparison.
We have also recently joined the World Health Organisation’s ‘5 Moments of Hand hygiene’ campaign. The aim of this campaign is to use alcohol at the point of care to ensure that we and our patients are protected against cross infection through touch.
Regular audits will be carried out to ensure that our usage of the alcohol foam within a patient’s bedroom increases.
During 2009 our main infection prevention training will be the Aseptic Non Touch Technique. This is to be delivered to all clinical staff and the Resident Medical Officers within the hospital. Hand hygiene training will also continue within 2009.
We will also be carrying out audits in conjunction with the Health Act 2006- Code of Practice including a self assessment tool and carrying out audits within theatre and the ward involving ‘Saving Lives -High Impact Interventions’.
Infection prevention is a very important part of everybody’s day to day life and something that we ALL need to take responsibility for.
Katharine Magnay
Hospital Infection Prevention Lead
December 2008