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Key role for Manchester in beating hospital bugs
Manchester is set to play an important part in a major NHS project to develop and test new infection-beating products in hospitals, and then provide support to roll them out across the NHS.
Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospitals NHS Trust is one of seven Showcase Hospitals across England participating in the Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs) Technology Innovation Programme. The aim is to help further reduce levels of infection, especially MRSA and C. difficile, through the use of new products and technologies.
The Showcase Hospitals will provide facilities in which frontline NHS staff can put new products and equipment designed to combat bugs like MRSA into practice. Evidence of how effective each product or technology is will be collected, along with the views of staff on how easy they are to use, and this information will be shared among hospitals around the country. The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) will then work with the Showcase Hospitals to make successful products more widely available.
“This is a landmark project, and we are very pleased that the Central Manchester and Manchester Children’s University Hospitals NHS Trust has been chosen as one of the seven pioneering sites,” says Gill Heaton, Director of Patient Services/Chief Nurse. Mrs Heaton is managing the project in her role as Director of Infection Prevention for the Trust.
“Developing an infection in hospital is a worry for many patients, and infection control is a top priority for the six hospitals in our Trust. We've worked very hard over the past year to significantly reduce infections. As a result, we are one of the best performing trusts in the North West, and this expertise in infection control has been reinforced by our selection as a Showcase Hospital."
The first review of new products is underway, and will include evaluation of a silver-alloy coated urinary catheter, a skin disinfecting product for use when inserting drips, as well as a vapour decontaminating system for use on equipment and within clinical areas.
The Trust was awarded Showcase Hospital status because of its ongoing involvement in product development and evaluation trials of infection prevention products. It works closely with the NHS National Technology Adoption Centre, based at the Trust, which is supporting the Showcase Hospitals project, together with TrusTECH, the North West NHS Innovation Hub. TrusTECH helps NHS staff to develop new ideas, products and services, and will assist in the roll-out of the successful anti-infection products across England.
“We chose Manchester because of their very clear determination to significantly reduce infection in their hospitals, and also their enthusiasm for sharing what they have learnt with other NHS hospitals and staff,” said Paul Cryer, the Showcase Hospitals project manager.
The other six Showcase Hospitals are at The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust; Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust; Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust; Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust; County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust; The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust.
Ends
For further information please contact:
Jill Hulme, Communications Officer, Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust, on 07913 278514.
Notes for editors
The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency
The NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency is an executive agency of the Department of Health. It works to ensure that the NHS in England makes the most cost effective use of its resources by getting the best possible value for money when purchasing goods and services.
Tackling healthcare associated infections (HCAIs)
Tackling the problem of HCAIs is high on the government agenda. The NHS Operating Framework for 2008/9 gives improving cleanliness and reducing HCAIs as a top priority for the NHS. NHS organisations will have to reduce the annual number of MRSA bloodstream infections to less than half the number in 2003/4 and by 2011 there will need to be a 30% reduction in C. difficile infections from 2007/8 levels.