Newsdate: 16 July 2010

The Department of Health have tasked all NHS Trusts to undertake a review of their existing MRSA policy and/or MRSA guidelines. Trusts have been asked to develop and have implemented an MRSA Screening Programme for all its Elective (Planned) Admission patients by the 31 March 2009 and all Emergency admissions by the 31 ^st December 2010.

The aim of the Department of Health strategy is to help Trusts reduce MRSA infection though screening patients in identified "at risk" groups and undertake a programme of decolonisation treatment.

West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust has already undertaken this review and is now in a position to publish a Declaration of statement on compliance against this documentation.

STATEMENT OF DECLARATION ON MRSA SCREENING FOR ALL ELECTIVE DAY CASE AND EMERGENCY ADMISSION OF PATIENTS

The Trust Board has reviewed and extended the present Trust elective Orthopaedic and surgical MRSA Screening arrangements to include all elective Day Case admission patients and all Emergency admissions.

The Trust Board has been assured that it is compliant with the MRSA Screening Policy for all elective and emergency admission patients and is firmly embedded within its Infection Control MRSA Guidelines| and patients who are considered to be at high risk of MRSA. Systems and arrangements are in place to ensure that there is full compliance with the Department of Health Guidance.

The Trust has ensured that it has mechanisms in place and has allocated resources to ensure that compliance and monitoring processes are in place.

These include:

• The Trust has published the Statement of Declaration, on MRSA Guidelines on the West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust Internet Infection Control home page for the availability of the general public.
• Compliance with the MRSA Guidelines will be monitored on a monthly base via the Department of Health - MRSA Screening Return Form to the Strategic Health Authority and the bi-monthly Infection Control Steering Group and the Trust Board.
• The Trust will ensure that "compliance rates" with the MRSA Guidelines are made available via the Trust Director of Infection Prevention and Control Annual Report.

 

Stephen Graves

Chief Executive