Fife's infection rate fails to meet ministerial target
Targets set for the reduction of a strain of healthcare association infection have been missed by NHS Fife.
- By Cheryl Wood
- Published in the Courier : 03.05.10
- Published online : 03.05.10 @ 06.24pm
A fall in the region's hospitals in cases of staphylococcus aureus bacteraemias (SABs) — bloodstream infections including superbug MRSA — was shy of the downturn Scottish ministers wanted to see.
Unless infections acquired in the community, which account for 40%, are removed from the calculation there is a risk the 2010-11 target will also be missed.
Now the health authority is hoping delivery of its quality improvement action plan will see progress in tackling the rate of infection.
NHS Fife had been challenged to reduce all SABs, including MRSA, by 40% by March 2010 and a further 15% by March 2011.
The region's rate of SABs is significantly higher than the national average.
A report to the NHS Fife board by infection control manager David Livingstone said, "Limited progress against the SAB target remains a cause for concern."
He said "significant and increasing efforts" were being made to ensure levels of the infection were reduced to meet the 2011 target.
He added, "Following successful implementation of the national MRSA screening programme in January, an announcement about future expansion of the range of patients to be screened was expected. To date nothing has been heard and the project team focus is on embedding the new processes into clinical practice."
Conversely, the latest figures for cases of C. diff showed Fife has one of the lowest rates among Scotland's mainland health boards and was on course to meet the target of a 30% reduction by 2011 set by ministers.
Figures released last month showed that NHS Fife had experienced a surge in cases over the last year of the less serious winter vomiting bug, norovirus. Some 245 patients were affected and 25 hospital wards had to be closed.
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