A WIRRAL health trust's infection prevention and control team has received national recognition for the quality improvement work it has been involved in together with health and care colleagues across the borough.
The IPC Team at Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust (WCHC) alongside colleagues from WCHC’s Bladder & Bowel Service, Wirral Council's health protection service, Wirral University Teaching Hospital and Wirral Place received the Infection Prevention Society Gold Impact Award for Excellence in October.
The award was given in recognition of their collaborative quality improvement project focusing on reducing the impact of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), improving the management and treatment of Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) and hydration in older people.
A statement from Wirral Community Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust read: "The project has involved the development and delivery of a training programme and key resources to improve hydration and UTI prevention and diagnosis aimed at staff working in care homes and general practice.
"This has been supported by training and engagement sessions for a range of settings including domiciliary care, day centres and local leisure settings as well as the development of resources for use across Wirral."
The trust added that since the start of this project, there has been a 'considerable reduction' in local antibiotic prescribing related to UTIs in those aged 70+ years, as well as a reduction in hospital admissions for UTIs.
In 2022/23, when compared with 2021/22, there was a 17% reduction in hospital admissions of Wirral residents for UTIs, with a 22% reduction in those aged 65 and over.
Another example of the team’s initiatives around the improvement of IPC practices is the IPC Digital Hub, which is described as a 'one-stop shop for all things infection prevention and control'.
The hub has online tools, resources, newsletters and an electronic referral form, to comprehensive training packages, an e-leaflet library, videos and localised campaign materials, the digital hub has everything you need. It can be accessed via the Trust’s website .
