RCN welcomes decreases in MRSA infections
Published: 18 July 2008
The RCN has welcomed the Health Protection Agency’s latest figures which show a 30 per cent decrease in reported MRSA (meticillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) cases in the 2007/08 financial year.
The College has however urged the Government to increase the number of practising infection control nurses and improve reporting structures. The RCN has also said that it is disappointed that there has been a six per cent increase in clostridium difficile (C. difficile) cases in patients aged 65 years and over from the previous quarter.
RCN General Secretary & Chief Executive, Dr Peter Carter, said:
“We should recognise the key role nurses, particularly specialists in infection protection control, have played in achieving this reduction in hospitals and health care services.
If we are to see further reductions in infections, the Government needs to meet its proposal to deliver more infection control nurses and ensure that there are stronger reporting mechanisms in place to enable nurses to raise their concerns about poor hygiene practices.”
The RCN’s comments came as the Health Protection Agency published its latest quarterly figures on MRSA bloodstream infections and C. difficile infections.
Further information
Information can be found on the new section on the Health Protection Agency website.
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