The Health Protection Agency preliminary findings from research conducted in 99 acute hospital trusts and 5 independent sector organisations during September and November last year, has revealed that over a third of patients received antibiotics, with over half being administered for community acquired infections.
It is estimated that around ten thousand lives have been saved over four years by NHS trusts during the lifespan of the cleanyourhands campaign.
The Government is committed to a more central role for patients and the Prime Minister has announced that a new system of Patient-Led Inspections will replace Patient Environment Action Teams from 2013. The results of the new inspections will be reported publicly to help drive up standards of care.
The Brighton Marathon had over 18,000 runners this year, and many charities were supported by the fantastic efforts of those taking part. For Julia Owen from Chelmsford, aka Jules, this was a personal triumph as she completed the marathon in 4 hours 26 minutes. Read more here.
On the 15th November 2011, my life changed forever as a result of MRSA. My wonderful Dad Clifford Jenkyns passed away on that sad day. In July 2011, my Dad went into hospital for a routine procedure to insert a lung drain. This is where he caught MRSA. Read more here.
MRSA Survivors Network, a global leader in the fight for MRSA awareness, education and prevention launches this week – "International MRSA Testing Week, April 1-7th" a new global campaign with the slogan "Prevention Saves Lives" that draws critical attention for the need of healthcare facilities worldwide to screen high risk patients for MRSA upon admission with continued surveillance and testing – active detection and isolation saves lives.
MRSA Action UK will hold it’s Annual General Meeting on 17th March 2012. There are opportunities for members to be involved in shaping the way the Charity lobbies for improvement in our healthcare and help to raise awareness about healthcare infections and what we can do to stay well and reduce the risks of acquiring them.
Today’s news report that Britain is facing a massive rise of a strain of the bacterium E.coli that is resistant to almost every antibiotic in our arsenal comes as little surprise to MRSA Action UK. In November 2008 our press release entitled “the rising threat from new superbugs” heeded the warning of the first outbreak of a mutant strain of E.coli 026 on a dairy farm in the UK.
This meeting is open to the public and MRSA Action UK welcome new members and also those who work in the health industry.
Care homes and hospitals need to take advantage of their local Health Protection Units in the use fingerprinting to check for cross infection. New evidence that shows fewer than a quarter of cases can be linked to other patients makes diagnosis and effective treatment absolutely essential if deadly strains are to be halted from becoming endemic in our care facilities.
MRSA Action UK has been certified as a provider of high quality health and social care information by The Information Standard scheme. MRSA Action UK met the scheme criteria of producing safe and reliable health and social care information. The organisation has consequently been awarded The Information Standard quality mark, which it can display on its literature and website illustrating to the public that its information can be trusted.
Patients believe the ambiguity in Health Minister Simon Burns’ statement that Trusts are “MRSA free” was misleading. Last week the statement made in the press release by the Department of Health proclaiming New Year ambitions to reduce healthcare associated infections, failed to impress members of MRSA Action UK.
Their phenomenal efforts are recognised everywhere they go raising awareness of MRSA and we are privileged to have them doing this to raise funds for MRSA Action UK.
MRSA Action UK was formed as a result of the scandalous numbers of people being harmed by avoidable infections, many by MRSA, hence the name of our charity.
MRSA Action UK Vice Chair Sue Fallon, helped to raise the plight faced by the NHS and health providers around the world, by telling her harrowing story to BBC reporter Jenny Hill yesterday. Tearful Sue told Jenny “The hardest thing is to have to tell your 12 year old daughter that her sister is dying.”
I write this article during World MRSA Awareness Month, and as European Antibiotic Awareness Day approaches the project to publish the patient stories of MRSA Action UK on antibiotic resistance has been thwarted by the Department of Health who fear talking about the deaths that MRSA causes will mitigate their time and resources that they have spent on trying to communicate the message that not all MRSA infections are fatal.
With the opening of the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester on Sunday the 2nd October, who of those attending will realise the significance of the date and that it coincides with remarkable event some 50 years ago to the very day.
We hear talk from world leaders about the world economy staring into the abyss and the effects this will have on people’s lives if we enter another recession. Last week at the Infection Prevention Society Conference in Bournemouth, we heard presentations from some of the country’s top medical professionals speaking about the future of healthcare, infection control, and the emergence of newer resistant and more deadly bacteria.
MRSA Action UK health warning on misleading headlines as Department of Health proclaim hospitals are MRSA-free
Having seen and read the latest headline and Press Release from the Department of Health “MRSA in the NHS at a record low - 25 acute Trusts are MRSA-free for more than a year”, we believe that the headline is somewhat disingenuous in its announcement as it implies that the Trusts have been totally MRSA-free.
MRSA Action UK welcome The Health Protection Agency confirmation that cases of MRSA are at a record low with fewer than 100 infections in a single month across NHS trusts in England.
Derek Butler, who works in the engineering workshops at the Westinghouse nuclear fuel manufacturing facility at Springfields, and who lives in Kirkham, has been named International Man of the Year for his involvement in the charity MRSA Action UK.
If you think you can help then please get in touch to talk about getting involved, you may like to help with fundraising and raising awareness. You can do this by donating through Just Giving securely or by creating your own fundraising page or a page in memory of someone.
The charity Leonard Cheshire Disability will lead the delivery of a new project which has been awarded grant funding from the Department of Health’s Innovation, Excellence and Service Development Fund. The project will enhance the influence of third sector organisations and the people they support on health care services in England.
MRSA Action UK Patron Edwina Currie will be speaking at the Reducing Healthcare Associated Infections - GovToday Conference Maintinaing Patient Safety: Breaking the cycle of infection Tuesday 21st June 2011 - Venue The Brewery, London - politics.co.uk
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