Infection Prevention and Control
Winner
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust: Development of a water safety training and assurance package within a haemato-oncology unit: a nurse-led initiative
Cases of multi-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA) increased on the trust’s haemato-oncology unit so a new way of working was needed to keep patients safe from the likely reservoirs, namely the water. The nursing team led an initiative to improve the ward environment, educate all team members in the area and develop an assurance process for water safety. A training package was developed for all staff and daily huddle updates were undertaken, along with matron-led monthly water safety assurance walkarounds. A water safety leaflet was designed to deliver key messages to all patients and visitors. There has been no case of MRPA since 2021.
Finalists
Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Central Surrey Health: North West Surrey Alliance integrated infection prevention and control team
A new team of specialist infection prevention and control (IPC) nurses was set up to provide consistent IPC advice and education for all North West Surrey Alliance providers. By raising the profi le of the new team, provider engagement increased, IPC standards were boosted and support for care homes and community services has been enhanced.
HCA Healthcare: Infection control link programme
To strengthen local cultures of infection
prevention and create local subject
matter experts/champions, the infection
prevention and control (IPC) team
developed a programme for IPC links
including a two-day course. Speakers
provide IPC expertise to the IPC links so
the links can then act as leaders and
experts, and share their improved
knowledge in IPC. The programme was
rolled out to all six HCA Healthcare
hospitals and primary care services
Health Education and Improvement Wales: Infection prevention and control training, learning and development framework
A framework was developed to improve
existing infection prevention and control
practice and training across Wales. It
sets out the standards that should be
used to inform practice of all members
of care delivery teams in the health,
social care, early years and childcare
sectors. Resources, including a new
used to inform practice of all members
of care delivery teams in the health,
social care, early years and childcare
sectors. Resources, including a new
course, to reinforce best practice were
produced and mandatory training was
reviewed and refreshed. Attendees of
the new course said it was beneficial.
Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust: I-Spy sepsis and I-Spy deterioration: a community journey
The project aimed to improve staff and the public’s understanding of sepsis and deterioration among adults in community settings. A branded approach to identifying the ‘soft’ signs of deterioration was implemented, and the delivery of RESTORE2, a physical deterioration and escalation tool for care/nursing homes, was supported. Both interventions improved care home staff’s recognition of deterioration and saved lives.
NHS Black Country ICB: Reducing cross-contamination risks during an outbreak in care homes
Education on infection prevention and
control education at a place-based level
and outbreak management support varied
across care homes. As such, outbreaks
could be prolonged in some areas,
which could cause severe inequality and
disruption to patient flow. Staff received
extra training on the chain of infection,
standard infection control precautions
and outbreak management. Confidence
improved as did system-wide working.
Royal Free Hospital NHS Foundation Trust: Reducing hospital-acquired infections on 7 West ward
7 West, a 32-bed vascular ward, was
placed in special measures after multiple
infection outbreaks. A new team was developed to ensure the ward stayed
infection free for 90 days. Practices that
required improvement were identified,
weekly meetings were held, cleaning
checklists were provided for staff and
audits were increased. Compliance
improved and the 90-day infection-free
target was not only met, but exceeded.
The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust: Gram-negative bloodstream infection and the cancer patient (Project Frank)
Project Frank was a retrospective review
of all the gram-negative bloodstream
infections (GNBSIs) at The Royal
Marsden in 2022–23. It was undertaken to
ascertain the primary focus of the
infection and correlate this to the cancer
type with the highest incidence of a
bacteraemia. The review revealed that
patients with haematology and
gastrointestinal or colorectal cancers are
more likely to develop a GNBSI. The word
‘cancer’ and its risks should be included
in the NHS GNBSI reduction strategy.
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust: Digital urinary catheter assessment and monitoring tool
The infection prevention and control
(IPC) biomedical device specialist nurse
and IPC matron led a project to digitise
the urinary catheter assessment and
monitoring tool to reduce infection risk.
The e-tool was designed to provide clear
sight of all catheters in situ, a dwell time
alert system, documentation of care,
resources to support care, and be able to
draw out reports for feedback. Follow-up
audit showed that 93% of catheterised
patients had been moved to the e-tool.