Mandatory Surveillance of Healthcare Associated Infection Report, 2006

Synopsis

The importance of healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) as a cause of preventable illness and death has been recognised increasingly in recent years, and the prevention and control of these infections has become a priority. Surveillance or monitoring of these infections is key to their control: we need to be able to measure them if we are to assess whether any impact has been made on controlling infection.  Many hospitals in the country have participated in voluntary surveillance of key infections for many years. However, as part of the increased focus on control of HCAI, surveillance of some infections was made mandatory. This started off with Staphylococcus aureus (including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus, MRSA) bacteraemia in April 2001 and was later extended to glycopeptide resistant enterococcal bacteraemia in October 2003, C. difficile associated disease in January 2004 and orthopaedic surgical site infection in April 2004. Reports have been published previously, six monthly for MRSA bacteraemia, annually for the other infections. This is the first time that all the mandatory surveillance reports have been brought together in one publication. This includes the national and regional picture, as well as the named trust data for each area of surveillance, bar surgical site infection, where the timing of the report does not allow publication of the second year’s data yet. MRSA bacteraemia surveillance has had further development since its inception, so that enhanced information is now available. This includes information on whether the infection was likely to be present on admission, the main specialties affected in hospitals and the provenance of the patient. This information is important as it allows targeting of control efforts on the most affected areas. These developments were implemented in October 2005 and this is the first time this additional information is being published.

Additional information

Press release (01/11/2007) in PDF archive

Contents

• Results of the fifth year of mandatory surveillance of MRSA bacteraemia, including data from the new enhanced surveillance scheme
• Mandatory Surveillance of C. difficile associated disease 2005
• The second year of mandatory Glycopeptide-Resistant Enterococci (GRE) surveillance
• Mandatory surveillance of surgical site infection in orthopaedic surgery

Last reviewed: 16 December 2010