Knowlex (Knowledge Exchange)

Wishing everyone celebrating a blessed Eid Mubarak! May this special time bring joy, peace, and happiness to you and your loved ones. 🌙✨

"We need to use the knowledge that our rich data sources afford us and move forward with strong ambition to reduce the burden of infectious diseases and ensure our messaging and interventions reach the people who need them most." Just published by the UK Health Security Agency the 2025 report on Infectious diseases impacting England

Experts shared their views on infection control and hygiene in healthcare and commercial kitchens during a recent Knowlex (Knowledge Exchange) webinar. Professor Katie Laird, Professor of Microbiology, Head of the Infectious Disease Research Group emphasised the importance of a professional approach when washing reusable textiles, stating: “Reusable textiles must be washed in accredited laundries with strict regulations - washing them at home is not an option for infection control.” See the full webinar: https://lnkd.in/eU8hvDFh

▶️ NEW (MARCH 2025): UK Health Security Agency publishes latest survey on healthcare-associated infections across England. "The report finds that overall healthcare-associated infections were present in 7.6% of patients, a 1% increase on the last reported figures in 2016." "...This rise could be associated with increased pressure on the healthcare system following the COVID-19 pandemic and more unwell patients due to an ageing population or more patients with comorbidities. Work is being done to understand the increase further. "The results suggest England’s HCAI prevalence level is consistent with trends seen in other European countries, including Spain, Sweden and Ireland. "Prevalence varied across different settings. In acute NHS trusts, 8% of patients tested positive for an HCAI. However, expected higher levels at 16.6% were recorded in acute specialty trusts, such as orthopaedic and children’s trusts where patients can be more susceptible to HCAIs. Among specialty trusts, HCAI prevalence was highest in Intensive Care Units (ICUs) at 15.9%. "Of the total number of 3,493 HCAIs reported by the participating organisations, pneumonia/lower respiratory tract infections (PNLRI) were the most common sites of infection (29.6%), followed by urinary tract infections (UTIs) (17.5%), and sepsis/disseminated infections (10.6%). "This year’s report included mental health and community sites for the first time, with prevalence levels at 5.1% and 5% respectively. These additional data sets are essential to develop our understanding of the HCAI risks and antibiotic use levels across different healthcare settings in England for comparative purposes. "The overall prevalence of antibiotic use in all hospital patients surveyed was 34.1% in 2023...In NHS acute care hospitals, the overall antibiotic use prevalence was similar in 2023 (37.3%), compared to 2016 (36.7%)." ⏺️ UK Health Security Agency Deputy Director Dr Colin Brown. "it's good to see that overall levels of healthcare-associated infections remained relatively similar in 2023, compared to 2016. This is likely thanks to the efforts of staff across the healthcare system who work tirelessly to implement effective infection prevention and control measures, and ensure antibiotics are being prescribed and taken appropriately. "However, levels have still increased in some parts of the health service, which must be addressed – together with continuing to drive down overall levels. Work is being conducted to better understand the drivers so that we can protect patients, especially those who are more susceptible to these types of infection such as the elderly and people with comorbidities." ➡️ FULL REPORT at: https://lnkd.in/dHMC3FHc #infectionprevention #infectioncontrol #IPC25 https://lnkd.in/egKsfxJm

𝗥𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀-𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗕𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗿 In healthcare and high-risk environments, infection prevention is critical. It protects both staff and patients and ensures compliance with stringent hygiene standards. Read the full article: https://lnkd.in/esmvJVaC Shoes For Crews Andrew C. Aurélie Baudry Katja Nefzer Jamie Caston

Meet Helen Lake RN, UTI Information Nurse at The Urology Foundation discussing the keynote that will be delivered at our Infection Prevention and Control Conference on the 29th and 30th April in Birmingham. Register your funded place now using code IPC3 https://lnkd.in/dwQNjcq

Meet Michael Dawson, Greater Manchester Spoke Centre Manager at North West Endoscopy Academy discussing the keynote that will be delivered at our Decontamination and Sterilisation Conference on the 29th April in Birmingham. Register your funded place now using code DAS3: https://lnkd.in/ernVMxVh #Decontamination #Sterilisation #Endoscopy

Meet Mary Garthwaite, Chair of The Urology Foundation and Former Consultant Urological Surgeon discussing the keynote that will be delivered at our Infection Prevention and Control Conference on the 29th and 30th April in Birmingham. Register your funded place now using code IPC3 https://lnkd.in/dwQNjcq (Funding will be ending on the 14th February 2025) #UTI #Urology

▶️ NEW (05/02/25) from NHS England - the 'National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness 2025'. "The National standards of healthcare cleanliness 2025 encompass all cleaning tasks throughout the NHS, regardless of the responsible department. These standards are designed to be user-friendly and future-ready, provide freedom within a structured framework, ensure effective cleaning processes, guarantee cleanliness, and offer transparent results. "An important update to these standards now includes ambulances, ensuring that the same high-quality cleaning protocols are applied to all patient transport vehicles. This enhancement underscores our commitment to maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and safety across all areas of healthcare. "Quality and safety are at the heart of these standards. A clean environment is crucial for preventing infections and ensuring the well-being of patients, staff, and visitors. By adhering to these rigorous cleaning protocols, we promote a safe, clean environment that supports infection prevention and control." "..Compliance with the National standards of healthcare cleanliness 2025 is mandatory in healthcare organisations. These standards have mandatory elements and elements that can be amended locally to meet the requirements of the local healthcare organisation." #infectionprevention #infectioncontrol #DAS25 #IPC25 #HFM25 #healthcarefacilitiesmanagement Emma Brookes MSc Philip Shelley FIH Erika Bowker Pauline Bradshaw Donna Brown Charlie Buck Linda Dempster Jenni Doman Stuart Douglas Gary Etheridge Caroline Fennessy Amy Gyte Anna Hallas Ashly Harrison Martyn Hearn Jennifer Holmyard Rob J. Debbie Jones FIWFM MBA Catherine Leak Penny Lewis Gail Lusardi Billy McNeill Lee Peddle MIWFM Ed Robinson Michael Rollins Christopher Settle Amilcar Simoes Louise Simpson Katie Sparrow Yvonne Spencer Collette Sweeney Yvonne Taylor C.Env.Cln, MBICS, CSSA Board Director Maciel Vinagre BEM David Griffiths Yvonne Fortt MBIFM https://lnkd.in/espYhWkm

Meet Dr. Evonne Curran, Retired Nurse Consultant in Infection Prevention and Control, discussing the keynote that will be delivered at our Infection Prevention and Control Conference on the 29th and 30th April in Birmingham. Register your funded place now using code IPC3 https://lnkd.in/dwQNjcq #covid-19 #Airquality #infectioncontrol