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Superbug task force set up
CHIEFS at Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust have set up a task force in the fight against hospital infections MRSA and C.difficile.
The trust, which runs East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, issued a statement this week after figures from the Health Protection Agency showed cases of the C.difficile superbug had soared by 70%.
The details showed the trust reported 85 cases of the superbug, known as CD, in the quarter to June, compared with 50 in the same quarter last year.
The increase bucked the general trend from hospital trusts around the country of falling numbers of CD infections. While Surrey and Sussex Healthcare's cases climbed 70%, the HPA reported the figures for England showed a 38% fall from the same quarter in 2007.
Professor Mike Catchpole, director of the HPA's Centre for Infections, said: "It is reassuring to see that trusts are continuing to make significant progress controlling outbreaks and bringing down the number of C.difficile infections.
"This remains a challenge for the NHS but healthcare workers are clearly working hard to fight these infections."
In a statement yesterday, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare noted 43 of the 85 cases were acquired in the community and stressed the trust "is totally committed to keeping the number of C.difficile cases at East Surrey Hospital to an absolute minimum and is working hard to ensure a reduction in numbers, which have come down considerably since June."
A trust spokesman said Department of Health statistics showed there had been a fall in the number of cases in East Surrey and Crawley hospitals with only 11 reported between July and September.
The statement said the trust had set up a task force of senior clinical and key staff who were making the introduction of effective infection prevention and control measures a top priority while also monitoring and investigating the root cause of each MRSA and C.difficile case.
Measures adopted include a "bare below the elbows" uniform policy for clinical staff giving direct care to patients. Regular deep cleaning and de-cluttering of all wards and clinical areas was carried out as well.
The statement added: "The trust has a zero tolerance approach to all healthcare-associated infections.
"There are strict policies and programmes in place, including hand hygiene and antibiotic stewardship.
"It is expected that by establishing all these good practises, the numbers of healthcare-associated infections will continue to fall."
3:36pm Tuesday 28th October 2008
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CommentPosted by: Grace Filby, Reigate on 3:51pm Thu 30 Oct 08
I have written to the hospital on various occasions (and raised the subject when asked for my opinion by two or three of the trustees a few years ago). I am still trying to point out that the bacteria, viruses and moulds are circulating through the air conditioning at East Surrey. Some people such as myself can even smell the areas that are worst. To put it simply, there is not enough direct sunlight coming in through the windows to kill the germs on surfaces or in the air. The hospital engineers and architects maybe did not take this basic science into account when it was built or extensions added. If they would like to contact me I will show them chapter and verse where the scientific evidence is and put them in contact with people with the scientific and engineering expertise. It is Nobel prizewinning science from a century ago which was known and taught by a very eminent Reigate resident, P.H Mitchiner, a former pupil of Reigate Grammar School. He was honorary surgeon to George VI and our present queen - he was also a Major General in the TA and a great fundraiser for the original East Surrey Hospital near Shaws Corner. As well as saving many lives here and overseas during WW1 and 2, he taught simple memorable facts - e.g. that a cholera sheet can be sterilised in one hour by sunlight. I dare say it would be just as efficient with superbugs and C.difficile. However there is some very latest technology (that is actually recommended officially in the USA) and it incorporates UV light into the air handling units rather than just relying on filters that are only checked visually. It is even cost-effective. Maybe the hospital trust would like to speak to the Friends of the Hospital about this and see what can be done on an interim basis. Once that is taken on board, it would be very nice if the newly formed taskforce could set to work on replying to their Freedom of Information questions, as required by the law. Thank you for providing an opportunity to comment on the latest news at the hospital.
I have written to the hospital on various occasions (and raised the subject when asked for my opinion by two or three of the trustees a few years ago). I am still trying to point out that the bacteria, viruses and moulds are circulating through the air conditioning at East Surrey. Some people such as myself can even smell the areas that are worst. To put it simply, there is not enough direct sunlight coming in through the windows to kill the germs on surfaces or in the air. The hospital engineers and architects maybe did not take this basic science into account when it was built or extensions added. If they would like to contact me I will show them chapter and verse where the scientific evidence is and put them in contact with people with the scientific and engineering expertise. It is Nobel prizewinning science from a century ago which was known and taught by a very eminent Reigate resident, P.H Mitchiner, a former pupil of Reigate Grammar School. He was honorary surgeon to George VI and our present queen - he was also a Major General in the TA and a great fundraiser for the original East Surrey Hospital near Shaws Corner. As well as saving many lives here and overseas during WW1 and 2, he taught simple memorable facts - e.g. that a cholera sheet can be sterilised in one hour by sunlight. I dare say it would be just as efficient with superbugs and C.difficile. However there is some very latest technology (that is actually recommended officially in the USA) and it incorporates UV light into the air handling units rather than just relying on filters that are only checked visually. It is even cost-effective. Maybe the hospital trust would like to speak to the Friends of the Hospital about this and see what can be done on an interim basis. Once that is taken on board, it would be very nice if the newly formed taskforce could set to work on replying to their Freedom of Information questions, as required by the law. Thank you for providing an opportunity to comment on the latest news at the hospital.
Posted by: barrie singleton, Newbury on 7:48pm Fri 31 Oct 08
DARK FORCES
Where sun sterilizes a sheet
Every Superbug faces defeat
But where Halloween dark
Brings them out for a lark;
Will that hospital bed ‘trick or treat’?
DARK FORCES
Where sun sterilizes a sheet
Every Superbug faces defeat
But where Halloween dark
Brings them out for a lark;
Will that hospital bed ‘trick or treat’?
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