Over the past year, not a single RUH patient has contracted the so called ‘super-bug’, MRSA, whilst being treated at the hospital.
Today, Monday 14 May, the Trust has achieved 365 days without a hospital acquired Meticillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia – an infection in the blood stream.
The Trust’s Director of Nursing Francesca Thompson said: “This is great news and should strengthen the confidence of our patients and the local community, in their hospital. Of course, we can’t afford to be complacent and we will continue our efforts to sustain this excellent record.”
The RUH has been screening elective or planned patients for MRSA since early 2009 and emergency patients, on admission since May 2010. This has enabled us to treat patients who are found to have MRSA, either prior to or on admission, reducing the risk of them developing deep-seated infections and also reducing the chances of cross-infection.
Yvonne Pritchard, Senior Infection Prevention and Control Nurse, said: “Reaching 365 days without a case of MRSA bacteraemia is a significant achievement. It reflects the continued hard work of our staff in maintaining high standards.
“Patients should be reassured that controlling and preventing infection is a major part of what we do all day every day, and it is a real team effort which has led to this success. The Trust has run several successful ‘hand hygiene’ campaigns over the last couple of years, which has clearly had a positive impact. MRSA is mainly spread on hands, so good hand washing is the most important way to stop it spreading. Everybody – staff, patients and visitors – can do their bit to reduce infection by following good basic hand hygiene before and after meals and after using the toilet.”
Other changes in the way we care for patients have also helped achieve this milestone. They include improving urinary catheter care through patient education and better hygiene and using a new cleanser to reduce bacteria on the skin area around where cannulae are sited.
Cases of MRSA at the RUH fell from six in 2009/10 to two in 2010/11. The Trust’s target over the current financial year is to report no more than 1 hospital acquired MRSA cases.
