The head of an NHS trust’s team of superbug-busting experts has revealed the priorities for managing killer infections in the primary care setting.
Fighting superbugs such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile in acute hospitals has been widely publicised, especially in the wake of the health watchdog’s report into two C diff outbreaks at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust.
But these healthcare associated infections can also strike in the primary care environment of community hospitals, care homes for the elderly and disabled, GP surgeries and other healthcare centres.
Barrie Collins, West Kent Primary Care Trust’s (PCT) director of infection prevention and control, said: “Everyone has a part to play. It is not just the professionals but patients themselves and visitors are all a part of the picture in preventing infection.”
KOS Media’s Clean Safe and Healthy campaign has seen the award-winning publishers join forces with the NHS across Kent to promote hand hygiene to help tackle superbugs.
Mr Collins and his team at the PCT have been running a series of roadshows to spread the simple message WASH YOUR HANDS and help people find out more about healthcare associated infections.
More than 200 people turned up to an event in Gravesend this week and another big crowd is expected at a show in Dartford on Wednesday.
Mr Collins, who is also director of nursing at the trust, said: “GPs, practice nurses, care homes and community hospitals use standard infection control and prevention techniques.
“The most important is washing hands and using alcohol gel.
“People should wash them at home, especially before eating and preparing food.
“Check your healthcare professional has washed their hands first, if you’ve been sick or had diarrhoea do not visit loved ones and follow doctor’s instructions about antibiotics."
He said his team at the PCT has been using epidemiology, which is the study of how disease occurs in different groups and why, in order to plan how infections could occur and how to fight them in the future.
This includes surveillance of bugs that are emerging as possible threats, he said.
GRE (glycopeptide-resistant enterococci), which can cause urinary tract, blood stream and wound infections, is among the bacterium Mr Collins is “keeping an eye on”.
The number of infections of GRE in the PCT’s area remains low but board members are kept up to date monthly on such emerging infections, he said.
Steno (stronotrophomonas maltophilia) is another such infection. In the six months running up to March this year Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust reported six cases and a similar number were found at the Maidstone trust.
The bacterium can pose a threat if it sticks to medical equipment, such as catheters, and grows into a biofilm which can enter patient’s blood stream or lungs.
POSTED: 24/05/2008 09:00:00