Collection

Healthcare associated infections (HCAI): guidance, data and analysis

HCAI are acquired as a result of healthcare interventions.

• From: UK Health Security Agency
• Published: 31 July 2014
• Last updated: 5 September 2023 — See all updates

UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) monitors the numbers of certain infections that occur in healthcare settings through routine surveillance programmes, and advises on how to prevent and control infection in establishments such as hospitals, care homes and schools.

UKHSA also monitors the spread of antibiotic resistant infections and advises healthcare professionals about controlling antimicrobial resistance.

Management of healthcare associated infections (HCAI)

Preventing and reducing rates of HCAI involves infection prevention and control, using evidence-based interventions.

Surveillance programmes are an important part of this, as they provide essential information on:

• what and where the problems are
• how well control measures are working

See the national evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections in NHS hospitals in England.

• Healthcare associated infection (HCAI): operational guidance and standards
  • 6 July 2012
  • Guidance
• Care homes: infection prevention and control
  • 18 February 2013
  • Guidance

Epidemiology

UKHSA runs national surveillance programmes to collect data on HCAI.

Surveillance programmes cover:

• Bacteraemia
• Gram-negative bacteria
• Clostridioides difficile infection
• Escherichia coli
• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Klebsiella species
• Staphylococcus aureus (meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA and meticillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus or MSSA)
• Surgical site infection

Some of our mandatory surveillance publications will change from October 2017. See Gram-negative bacteraemia infections updates on the HCAI Data Capture System (DSC) Help and Support page for details.

• Point prevalence survey on HCAI, AMU and AMS in England
  • 19 February 2024
  • Guidance
• Register for the intensive care quality improvement programme
  • 18 December 2018
  • Guidance
• Enterobacter and related organisms: voluntary reporting
  • 16 August 2019
  • Research and analysis
• Proteeae: voluntary reporting
  • 10 January 2020
  • Research and analysis
• Healthcare associated infections (HAI): point prevalence survey, England
  • 1 August 2016
  • Research and analysis
• MRSA, MSSA, Gram-negative bacteraemia and CDI: 30-day all-cause fatality
  • 8 November 2024
  • Official Statistics
• Uncommon pathogens involved in bacteraemia and fungaemia in EWNI
  • 10 January 2020
  • Research and analysis
• Polymicrobial bacteraemia and fungaemia in England, Wales and NI
  • 23 September 2019
  • Research and analysis
• Acinetobacter species
  • 22 July 2008
  • Guidance
• Enterococcus species and glycopeptide-resistant enterococci (GRE)
  • 22 July 2008
  • Guidance

Published 31 July 2014
Last updated 5 September 2023 + show all updates

1. 5 September 2023

   Added 'Point prevalence survey on HCAI, AMU and AMS in England'.

2. 22 October 2018

   Added 'Register for the Intensive Care Quality Improvement Programme' document.

3. 12 November 2016

   Under Epidemiology: seven strands of routine reporting added (Klebsiella, Acinetobacter; Enterococcus; Enterobacter; Proteeae; polymicrobials and uncommon pathogens); also the Pseudomonas aeruginosa: guidance, data and analysis collection.

4. 21 March 2016

   Added MRSA, MSSA and E. coli bacteraemia and C. difficile infection: 30 day all-cause fatality.

5. 31 July 2014

   First published.