Hospital Acquired Infections

Our Approach

Everyone at Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is a firm believer that the prevention and control of hospital acquired infections are the responsibility of us all.

The Trust is committed to keeping infection to a minimum and consistently takes action to ensure that our infection rates remain low.

Excellent practice across the Trust includes:

• the routine screening of patients, both pre-admission and on admission;
• monitoring the appropriate use of antibiotics;
• ongoing education for all hospital staff;
• isolation and containment measures and procedures to minimise outbreaks;
• antibacterial gel at every bedside.

The Ward Matrons play an important role in making rigorous inspections on wards, and regular audits of clinical areas are conducted by the Infection Control Team and ward staff. In August this year, the Trust’s PEAT assessment (Patient Environment Action Team) was scored Excellent by the National Patient Safety Agency.

Education and Information Programmes

In October 2008 the Trust’s Infection Control Team launched a campaign to redouble the efforts to raise awareness and reinforce the importance of hand hygiene to staff, patients and visitors.

Lucy Everett, Senior Nurse, Infection Prevention and Control and the Infection Control Team displayed information stands at Heatherwood and Wexham Park reception areas and give out information to visitors.

They also offered visitors the chance to see how effective their hand washing was by using a special lotion, that when applied to the hands and exposed in an ultraviolet light box, showed clearly where bacteria is present on the skin. The Infection Control Team also demonstrated techniques to thoroughly wash hands to remove all bacteria.

Lucy Everett said, "Infection Control Awareness Week is a great opportunity. This year we have focused on Hand Hygiene. We aim to promote the fact to staff, patients and visitors that we take good Hand Hygiene practice and infection prevention very seriously in the Trust, not just this week, but continuously."