Three New Weapons Added to the Arsenal Fighting Hospital Infections

MERSEYSIDE’S largest hospital has unveiled its latest weapons in the battle against MRSA: curtains, new mattresses and softer hand towels.

The Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospitals NHS Trust has used extra cash from the North West Strategic Health Authority to buy additional curtains to put up around patients’ beds.

A report by the trust’s board said the extra curtains meant existing curtains could be changed more frequently, reducing the risk of infections.

At the end of September, the trust had seen 32 cases of MRSA – its target for financial year is 35.

Diane Wake, director of Infection Prevention and Control (Acting), at Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospitals Trust, said: “It is necessary to change curtains on a very regular basis. There were insufficient curtains within the organisation to do this effectively and consistently, meaning that thorough decontamination did not occur.

“This measure will meet with the infection control terminal cleaning requirements and also support the positive patient perception that the Trust is being thoroughly cleaned.”

Other measures include introducing softer hand towels which, bosses hope, will lead to more people washing, and drying, their hands more frequently.

In its battle with Clostridium Difficile, a hospital infection which elderly patients are most likely to catch, the hospital says it is reviewing its antibiotics policy to reduce the use of tablets which leave patients exposed to the infection.

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