Infection rates at SLHT hospitals are three times lower than the national average and lower than in private hospitals .
The Health Protection Agency has today published the results of its national survey into healthcare associated infections in English NHS and independent hospitals.
Overall nationally, 6.5% of patients in acute hospital had an HCAI [Healthcare Associated Infection] whereas in SLHT hospitals, only 2.1% of our patients had an HCAI.
The national rate for infections in the independent sector was 2.2% which means that patients are less likely to pick up an infection in SLHT’s hospitals than in a private hospital.
Patients are significantly less likely to pick up healthcare associated infections in the hospitals run by SLHT than the average infection rates across England.
In the past two years, MRSA bloodstream infections have virtually been eliminated with five cases overall in the past two years. Tracey Cooper, Director of Infection Prevention and Control: “We’ve placed enormous emphasis on the prevention of infection and continue to focus on improving our standards still further Our approach is to make sure we get the basics right and are understood by every member of staff, regardless of role and seniority. Infection prevention is at the heart of everything we do. There has been a real effort to improve standards of cleanliness and hand hygiene as well as specific clinical practices around prescribing. “
Roger Smith, Medical Director: “I am delighted that this national survey out today confirms that patients are less likely to pick up infections in our hospitals than in many other centres, particularly after the hard work and determination of our staff in the past three years to eliminate avoidable infections. "
“We still have much more to do to improve the overall experience of patients in our hospitals but on the most basic patient safety standards, we are considerably safer than we used to be and in comparison to most other hospitals. Our patients should also feel assured that our survival rates are better than the national average and continue to improve”
Further information
The English PPS [Point Prevalence Survey] data collection was undertaken by hospital teams between September and November 2011; 103 organisations surveyed 52,443 eligible patients (50,778 from the NHS and 1,665 (3.2 per cent) from the independent sector. The average age of all patients was 69 years old. A total of 4,372 (out of the 52,443, eight per cent) children under 16 years of age were also surveyed. The average age in this group was one month. The most common types of HCAI [Healthcare Associated Infections] were respiratory (including pneumonia and infections of the lower respiratory tract) (22.8 per cent), urinary tract infections (UTI) (17.2 per cent), and surgical site infections (15.7 per cent).
The full Health Protection Agency press release can be found at http://www.hpa.org.uk/NewsCentre/NationalPressReleases/2012PressReleases/120523Snapshotsurveyhcai/