Hand Hygiene Up; Hospital-Acquired-Ilness Down

Improved hand hygiene amongst hospital staff is a major factor in the dramatic decline in healthcare associated infections, according to a recent study.

HPA figures show healthcare associated infections, such as MRSA and Colstridium Difficile have fallen dramatically since the NPSA launched the Clean Your Hands Campaign in 2004 – with the aim of improving hand hygiene amongst healthcare staff.

Between April 2004 and March 2010 MRSA rates in hospitals across England fell from 7,233 to 1,898. Similarly, cases Clostridium Difficile (C.diff) in hospitals in England have fallen from 55, 498 in to 25,604 in recent years.