The Healthcare Commission has issued an improvement notice to Homerton University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, requiring urgent attention to its infection control systems.
While the trust’s rates of MRSA bloodstream infection and Clostridium difficile have generally been low, the Commission found significant breaches of the hygiene code during an unannounced inspection.
The inspection at Homerton University Hospital identified breaches of the Government’s hygiene code that gave inspectors cause for concern. These included arrangements for the decontamination of equipment, concern about adequacy of mandatory staff training, and lack of follow up to internal audits. There were also issues about reporting of information to the board to enable them to assure themselves that systems for preventing infection are in place and working in practice.
According to the Healthcare Commission “All trusts must drive rates of infection as low as they possibly can and to do this they must have all the necessary systems in place to deal with infection prevention and control. This is extremely important for patients. Relatively low infection rates are not enough; systems need to be in place to keep infection to a minimum.”
For further information, including a detailed analysis of the issues giving cause for concern and their link to relevant duties set out in the Government’s hygiene code, click here.
