Healthcare Associated Infections – A Strategy for Hospitals in Wales

The Welsh Assembly Government is committed to the prevention of as many healthcare associated infections as possible in Welsh hospitals.  To support the ongoing programme of infection control, I launched “Healthcare Associated Infections – A Strategy for Hospitals in Wales” formally on 9 September.

The Strategy’s aims are that:

 All staff will understand the impact of infection and infection control practices to enable them to carry out their personal responsibilities to patients, other staff, visitors and themselves.

 Patients will be treated in environments that minimise the risk of infection.

 There are clear management accountability arrangements, with each directorate working with the trust infection control specialist to determine the priorities for action in their area of activity.

 Trusts adopt comprehensive surveillance and audit programmes to monitor and direct their infection control programmes.  

Comprehensive action plans, which will be monitored regularly, are integral to the implementation of the Strategy.

The Strategy has been developed by a multi-disciplinary group, the Welsh Healthcare Associated Infection sub-group of the Committee for the Control of Communicable Disease.  

While healthcare-associated infections will never be entirely preventable, the new strategy sets out clear measures for the NHS which will help reduce the spread of infection. Effective control can only be achieved if all healthcare workers play their part. This Strategy will require commitment from everyone involved, across the board, and we will be monitoring its implementation closely.  Working together is key in reducing the number of infections.

It is important to note that this new Strategy builds on work already under way in Wales.  We have one of the most robust systems of disease surveillance in the UK.  Last year the Assembly Government provided funding to each Trust, specifically for IT equipment and Infection Control Teams to allow them to develop their surveillance systems.  We also have Infection Control doctors and teams in each trust but, as the new Strategy makes clear, prevention of infection is the responsibility of all staff.

A second plan will be issued, which will deal with combating healthcare-associated infections in community and primary care settings.