Infection Control and Medical Device Decontamination – A survey of SHAs
In November 2002 The Patients Association carried out a survey of the new Strategic Health Authorities . 'Infection Control and Medical Device Decontamination – A survey of Strategic Health Authorities' assessed how much the SHAs would be following the decontamination and medical device issue under the new local agenda and Shifting the Balance.
Following this, in October 2004 we conducted a survey among healthcare professionals which revealed five percent of those questioned did not clean their instruments between patients; more than a half reused sterilising fluid; many endoscopes never made it to the Central Sterile Department at the end of each clinic; and there were no uniform guidelines on who was responsible for sterilisation, or what they should do. The 'Infection Control and Medical Devices' survey also showed that 35 percent of those questioned had never heard of the Chief Medical Officers 2003 report “Winning Ways”, which identified intensified control measures as essential to defeat healthcare associated infection.
To download the 'Infection Control and Medical Device Decontamination – A survey of Strategic Health Authorities' report, please click here.
