MRSA Action UK policy documents

Our policy and research work includes responding and contributing to guidance issued by government, non-governmental bodies and regulators.

Our Terms of Reference ensure this work reflects the views of patients and carers. This page summarises just some of the work we are involved in, if you would like more information then please contact us.

MRSA Action UK proposal to the government

Healthcare Infections A Manifesto 2015
29 April 2015

In 2010 MRSA Action UK published our proposal to the government “Healthcare Infections – A Manifesto”. We highlighted how every infection matters and we asked for a zero tolerance approach to avoidable infections. We spoke of how reporting needed to be improved, including legislating on the recording of healthcare-associated infections on death certificates. And we asked for public education campaigns on antimicrobial resistance and hand hygiene. We have seen numbers reducing for MRSA bloodstream infections and cases of Clostridium difficile over the last five years.

We have, however, witnessed growing problems with antimicrobial resistance and note that reductions in Clostridium difficile have stalled at around 20,000 recorded cases a year, and 14,000 Staph bloodstream infections a year – Staph is the micro-organism involved in the evolution of MRSA, the abbreviation for meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

MRSA Action UK believes the government must continue to invest in the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections and strategies to manage the threats of antimicrobial resistance. Hospitals and care facilities must be well staffed to be able to carry out safe care efficiently and effectively. Again, we ask the government to:

-Empower all healthcare providers to adopt a zero tolerance approach to avoidable healthcare infections across the healthcare economy through investment in resources and technologies and competency based training for clinical care

-Publish the mandatory collection of data on surgical site infections in this financial year, and introduce a target to reduce these, with year on year reductions in each clinical setting

-Publish MRSA bacteraemias, Clostridium difficile, surgical site, urinary and catheter infections on a hospital basis to inform patient choice

-Publish benchmarking and incidence surveillance in intensive care units – particularly ventilator-associated pneumonia, as recommended from the English point prevalence survey

-Provide public reporting of organisations’ device prevalence to assist in reducing device use and shortening duration of use, as recommended from the English point prevalence survey

-Follow up surgical site infections with a post infection review providing surgeons with their infection rates and make this information available in the public domain

-Introduce legislation and regulation for recording healthcare associated infections on death certificates in accordance with Office of National Statistics guidelines

-Invest in research into the lasting effects of healthcare associated infections on survivors, and provide access to support services and benefits for sufferers

-Work collaboratively with the EU to identify strategies for tackling the problem of antimicrobial resistance across the wider healthcare economy, in care homes and in the community

-Publish antimicrobial consumption data for each hospital and primary care organisation (GP practices) to encourage judicious use, based on recommendations from the English point prevalence survey

-Promote education and advertising campaigns on the importance of hand hygiene and the need to be judicious in the use of antibiotics

-Provide well resourced hospitals, giving healthcare workers time to care

Download a full copy Healthcare Infections A Manifesto 2015(420KB pdf)

Responses to consultations

1. MRSA Action UK response to the engagement exercise for quality standard on pneumonia - April 2015

2. MRSA Action UK response to the consultation on the revised version of the health and social care act 2008 code of practice on prevention and control of infections and related guidance (the code) - taking account of the 5 year antimicrobial resistance strategy - March 2015

3. MRSA Action UK response to the NICE quality standard consultation on urinary tract infection in adults - December 2014

4. MRSA Action UK response to the Proposal to review the NICE improvement guide on prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections - October 2014

5. MRSA Action UK response to the NICE Scoping exercise on Sepsis: the recognition, diagnosis and management of Severe Sepsis - May 2014

6. MRSA Action UK response to the Longitude Prize open review - 2014

7. MRSA Action UK response to the NICE engagement exercise for the quality standard on antibiotics for neonatal infection - March 2014

8. MRSA Action UK response to the NICE Quality Standards Consultation – Infection control - December 2013

9. MRSA Action UK response to the consultation on the regulations for Healthwatch England Membership

10. MRSA Action UK response to the consultation on the NICE guideline on Infection control, prevention of healthcare-associated infection in primary and community care - September 2011

11. MRSA Action UK are members of the Hand Hygiene Alliance of patients and healthcare workers, this is the Alliance's Hand Hygiene Quality Statement submission to the NICE consultation on Infection control, prevention of healthcare-associated infection in primary and community care

12. MRSA Action UK response to "Equity and Excellence: Liberating the NHS"

13. MRSA Action UK submission to The Francis Inquiry into Mid Staffs

14. MRSA Action UK response to The Health and Social Care Act 2008, Code of Practice for healthcare including primary care, and adult social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance (The Hygiene Code)

15. MRSA Action UK response to the British Standards Institution Cleanliness in healthcare facilities - Hospitals - Specification

16. MRSA Action UK response to the draft NICE Infection control update, scope for consultation 25 November - 23 December 2009

17. MRSA Action UK response to the consultation on the MRSA Objective July 2009

18. MRSA Action UK written evidence to the Inquiry into Patient Safety

19. MRSA Action UK submission on new arrangements for the Regulation of The Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections

20. MRSA Action UK submission on Death Certification and Coroners' Reform Bill

21. MRSA Action UK were members of the Healthcare Commission Expert Reference Group on developing guidance for assessing healthcare providers' arrangements for meeting the requirements of The Health Act 2006, Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Health Care Associated Infections (the Hygiene Code)

22. MRSA Action UK were members of the National Working Group on Quality Improvement on Lord Darzi's review of the NHS. Terms of Reference include setting standards, assessing performance in clinical practice, developing inspection and review, and supporting quality improvement efforts. MRSA Action UK's policy document on strategies in "Human Performance, Tools and Techniques" was presented to this forum

23. MRSA Action UK response to the draft NICE guidelines on surgical site infections 2008, with an emphasis on the attention to aseptic non-touch technique and achieving excellence in this important area of clinical care, we have advocated linkages with the Hygiene Code and Saving Lives

24. MRSA Action UK always welcome the opportunity to give a patient perspective on information about healthcare infections and have contributed to information for patients about MRSA and other healthcare infections in consultation with the Department of Health, NHS Hospital Trusts and BUPA

25. MRSA Action UK have taken part in research in involving patients in contributing to the safe delivery of healthcare, preliminary findings from the research are available here

26. MRSA Action UK response to Developing the Annual Health Check in 2008/2009

27. MRSA Action UK response to Developing the Annual Health Check in 2007/2008 - Healthcare Commission

28. MRSA Action UK response to Department of Health's Patients Bill of Rights - April 2007

29. MRSA Action UK response to the Department of Health Consultation "Action on Healthcare Associated Infections in England" - Now enshrined in legislation The Health Act 2006, Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Health Care Associated Infections (the Hygiene Code)

MRSA Action UK are advocates of the Netherlands Search and Destroy Policy - Professor Jan Kluytmans MD has stated "all other strategies have failed"

An evaluation of the continuance of the policy showed that it is cost effective in the longer term, and that rapid testing is needed to avoid putting people into isolation unnecessarily - both from a cost effective point of view, and the personal human viewpoint of being isolated.

MRSA Action UK presented a paper on the case for Implementing Search Destroy to The Prime Minister's Health Advisor following a meeting at 10 Downing Street in October 2007

Netherlands Search & Destroy Policy - How the Dutch beat MRSA, a summary of a presentation by Dr Margreet Vos to the: MRSA - Learning from the Best conference, London, January 05.

Our manifesto asking government to continue to invest in preventing healthcare associated infections, asks for cross-party support in this important area of healthcare - read more in Healthcare Associated Infections A Manifesto for 2010

(c) MRSA Action UK 2010-2015