Gibbons Calls For Zero Tolerance Attitude To Bugs

Welsh health minister Brian Gibbons yesterday called for zero tolerance in the battle against hospital superbugs.

Dr Gibbons told a Healthcare Associated Infections conference bugs such as MRSA and Clostridium Difficile continued to be a major concern. He said some battles had already been won and real cuts in infection rates achieved – but it was equally clear more could be done.

“Zero tolerance of infection might sound professionally difficult to imagine but this is what patients and relatives expect,” Dr Gibbons told the Cardiff conference hosted by the Assembly Government.

“The Welsh Assembly Government’s overall aim is to ensure that infection control is high on the agenda of all those responsible for managing and delivering health services and we will continue to guide and support them,” he said.

“It is evident that good practice with respect to prevention, control and management of HAIs needs to be more widely-known and applied.”

Latest figures showed infection rates of the deadly MRSA bug at Welsh hospitals at 0.9% were lower than the UK average.

NHS trusts at Bangor, Bodelwyddan and Aberystwyth were lower than the Welsh average.