Key facts about reducing healthcare associated infection
Preventing and controlling infection is essential to help ensure people who use NHS services receive safe and effective care.
The NHS has made significant reductions in MRSA and Clostridium difficile infections, however, there remains capacity to drive these and other infections, down further.
The Government has been clear the NHS needs to adopt a zero tolerance approach to all preventable healthcare associated infections.
Transparency of information and data is important in encouraging NHS service providers to continue to reduce avoidable healthcare associated infections.
Patients can access surveillance data on healthcare associated infections direct from the Health Protection Agency website.
The HCAI Improvement Programme published a compendium of tools and guidance in January 2011 to support the NHS in continued reduction of HCAIs.