The number of cases of Clostridium difficile and MRSA in the East Midlands has fallen dramatically over the last year.
According to the latest figures from the Health Protection Agency, the number of cases of C. difficile reported in the region has dropped by more than a third compared to last year from 2,149 to 1,321 – which amounts to less than half a per cent of patient admissions in the East Midlands*. MRSA cases have also dropped by a quarter compared to the previous year from 254 to 186.
This significant fall, comes as NHS East Midlands reveals that more than 50 per cent of patients and the public say they have a greater awareness of good hand hygiene measures due to the success of our regional Hand in Hand infection control campaign.
The ongoing campaign was launched in December 2007 and has been run in all NHS organisations in the region since then. It aims to help reduce cases of healthcare associated infections and has included a wide range of awareness boosting initiatives from talking cardboard nurses which remind you to wash your hands to a targeted television and radio advertising campaign.
Recent independent polling asked 500 members of the public in the East Midlands for their opinions on the overall campaign and the four key areas in fighting infection – cleanliness, hand hygiene, MRSA screening and the correct use of antibiotics. The results also revealed:
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Almost all those polled believed hand hygiene is important;
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73 per cent believed cleanliness in NHS facilities is now either ‘fairly good’ or ‘very good’;
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Those polled had 15 per cent greater confidence in NHS staff having clean hands.
Lynn Andrews, Assistant Director of Patient Care at NHS East Midlands said: “The results from the public polling highlight how important the Hand in Hand, fighting infection together campaign is. The campaign helps the public to understand the significant steps being taken in the NHS in the East Midlands to tackle infection control issues and the significant part they can play in reducing healthcare infections.”
“These impressive figures also show the determination and commitment of our staff to reduce incidences of healthcare infections such as C. difficile and MRSA but we know we must continue with the good work as one avoidable infection is one too many.”
Health Secretary Andy Burnham said: “Once again, these figures show that our strategy to reduce healthcare associated infections is working and that the NHS is delivering safer, high quality care.”
