Audit Committee finds more needs to be done to prevent and control Healthcare Associated Infections

More needs to be done to prevent and control  Healthcare Associated Infections according to a report by the Assembly’s Audit Committee published today.

The Audit Committee has found that NHS trusts have made good progress in tackling healthcare associated infections but that they need to do even more, particularly to improve processes, capacity and information, because infection prevention and control is still not seen as everyone’s business.

The report also states that the broader Welsh approach to tackling all HCAIs, rather than those with a high public profile, has lowered infection rates.  This appears particularly true when comparing Welsh infection rates with England, where the national approach appears to have involved a specific focus on MRSA.

The committee was however concerned that there is evidence suggesting that the incidence of C. difficile infections increased significantly in Wales between 1993 and 2005 and that Wales also appears to have a problem with infections following surgery.

Chair of the Committee David Melding said: “The committee is satisfied that the approach in Wales has begun to secure the cultural change needed to improve infection prevention and control, and that the Welsh Assembly Government’s decision to allow NHS trusts to set their own infection reduction targets rather than using a prescriptive national target appears to have generated ownership among the NHS trusts.

“However there is still a long way to go until infection prevention and control has achieved satisfactory results.  We as a committee call on the Welsh Assembly Government  to do more to improve its processes in dealing with Healthcare Associated Infections to capitalise further on the progress that has already been made.”