Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 5
5
Accepted
Ensure NHS England mainstreams AMR into everyday policy and addresses estate and workforce issues.
Conclusion
Addressing the threat of AMR should be a core part of all of the NHS’s work, including the fundamentals that reduce the spread of infection. Infection prevention and control measures, such as good hygiene practices, aseptic techniques and high standards of cleanliness, are vital for reducing AMR infections in the NHS. By concentrating on these, MRSA infections were reduced but are now increasing again. Other factors include the poor condition of the NHS estate, which makes cleaning and infection control more difficult, shortfalls in the medical microbiologist workforce, and a lack of sustained impact from professional engagement campaigns. recommendation a. NHS England must ensure that AMR is mainstreamed into everyday NHS policy and practice, addressing issues within the NHS estate and workforce to reduce infections. b. UKHSA should continue to use its modular hospital ward to develop best practice when building or refurbishing wards.
Government Response Summary
The government agrees to use the modular ward to generate evidence, inform hospital design, enhance existing guidance, and deliver training for infection prevention and control specialists. This ongoing work, including studying environmental reservoirs of AMR and informing the New Hospital Programme, directly addresses the recommendation for developing best practice.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation around the spread of infection through using its modular ward. The modular ward will generate evidence on how the hospital environment contributes to the spread of AMR infection and how wards should be designed, refurbished and operated to enhance IPC. UKHSA are studying environmental reservoirs of AMR organisms and assessing the effectiveness of controls in the built environment to prevent their spread. This includes investigating the impact of hand wipes and vacuums to prevent toilet aerosolisations. Evidence is being inputted into recommendations on surface cleaning and disinfection. The model ward will directly contribute to this through delivering training to IPC specialists. Mitigating the risks associated with water and wastewater systems is a particular focus. The modular hospital ward is currently being used to inform sink, shower and toilet installation and design. Data are being used to inform the New Hospital Programme, enhancing existing guidance (NHS Estates Technical Bulletin (NETB) No.2024/3) and supporting and informing IPC strategies. In addition to carrying out its own programme of research, UKHSA provides visiting academic researchers access to the modular ward facility and supports training programmes.