Are there any stats on hand washing in hospitals ie infection rates or mortality rates in uk?
Yes – hand washing audits are done in my hospital in UK – unfortunately not all do. If any areas or staff are identified as not doing things correctly they are spoken to by whoever is doing the audit or the Matron for the ward concerned. Action plans are developed where necessary. Infection rates are held by all hospitals and reported to dept of health for Clostridium Difficile (C Diff) in people over 65, and MRSA Bactaraemias (when it is in the blood), as all hospitals are obliged to report. Each hospital has a target to reduce both these infections. Not all infections are recorded, as there are always infections that cannot be avoided, which is why the focus is on the most important ones.
