Infection Prevention and Control

Our services

The Infection Prevention and Control Team aim to provide timely expert advice to all Trust staff.

An annual programme of work supports the Trust to deliver Infection Prevention and Control standards which are aligned to national policies and local priorities. This includes:

• Auditing of IPC standards to an agreed criteria making recommendations for change, monitoring progress and reporting to the Trust’s Quality and Safety Committee
• Developing and delivering IPC education and training programmes
• Supporting and developing IPC link staff
• Monitoring HCAI trends and highlighting areas for IPC intervention
• Providing expert clinical advice and support to staff and public to identify and manage infection incidents and outbreaks including, as appropriate, the facilitation of root cause analysis, clinical case reviews and / or post infection reviews
• Providing expert IPC advice into the planning of new services, new builds, refurbishments projects and purchasing of new equipment

Antimicrobial Resistance

The rise and spread of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is creating a new generation of “superbugs” that cannot be treated with existing medicines and is one of the biggest threats to global health today. The SCHT IPC Team are working closely with Shrewsbury and Telford Hospitals’ Microbiology department and the Trust’s own Medicine Management team to assist in reducing the problem of antimicrobial resistance. In the UK, rising antimicrobial resistance will cause people to suffer longer infectious illnesses as they become more difficult to treat. Antimicrobial resistance is a serious threat to the success of medical treatments such as chemotherapy, renal dialysis, some types of surgery, including organ transplantation and joint prosthesis, as they frequently depend on antibiotics to treat secondary infections. Antimicrobial resistance requires both health care professionals and members of the public to change their attitudes and behaviours towards antibiotics.

What is Antimicrobial Resistance?

Antibiotics treat infections by killing bacteria – but the bacteria are fighting back and antibiotics are becoming less effective.

There are many reasons why antibiotics lose their effectiveness but the main ones are:

• We have requested / taken antibiotics when we don’t need them. For example most sore throats and colds are viral and antibiotics don’t help
• We don’t take the antibiotics exactly as prescribed i.e. we miss doses, don’t finish the course

What can we all do?

• Don’t ask for antibiotics for your cold and flu symptoms. Get advice from your pharmacist about over the counter medicines
• Take antibiotics exactly as prescribed and never share them with others
• Preventing infections is essential: NO infections = NO antibiotics. Keeping fit and healthy reduces the risk of acquiring infections as does good hand hygiene
• Spread the word – tell your family and friends about antimicrobial resistance
  

Who are we?

The Infection Prevention and Control Team provides specialist infection prevention and control (IPC) support and advice for all clinical and support services provided by the Trust. The team is led by the Director for Infection Prevention and Control (DIPC) and reports directly to the Chief Executive.

Healthcare associated infections (HCAIs) can cause serious problems. They can complicate other illnesses and they cause distress to patients and their families. Not all healthcare associated infections are avoidable. However, with good practices many of them can be prevented. Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust is committed to tackling healthcare associated infections and the harm that can result from them.

The Infection Prevention and Control Team and all Trust staff are working hard to reduce the risk of all infections. This page has been designed to give you quick access to advice on how you can help yourself and others to reduce the risk of infections.

Where are we?

The IPC team are based at the Shrewsbury Business Park:

Infection Prevention and Control Team
Mount McKinley
Shrewsbury Business Park
Anchorage Avenue
Shrewsbury
SY2 6FG

Infection prevention and control care and specialist advice is provided in all sites where patient care is provided by the Trust.

MRSA Screening Compliance Statement

Shropshire Community Health NHS Trust is compliant with the Department of Health Meticillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) screening guidance. This means that all in-patient admissions - both elective and emergency - and certain elective day case admissions/attendees to Shropshire Community Hospitals are screened for MRSA. This is undertaken both prior to arrival or on arrival and on a monthly basis thereafter during their stay.

Our Trust’s MRSA Policy and information leaflets are available on our websites.

Compliance with the MRSA Policy is monitored and reported to the Quality and Safety Committee monthly and actions are taken to follow up any incident of non-compliance with the MRSA screening procedure.