Health trusts tackle infections

Health trusts across Northamptonshire are starting a five-week campaign to promote the need to tackle hospital infections.

Each week there will be a different focus to cover all the different aspects of infection control.

The Hand in Hand campaign will look at cleanliness, hand hygiene, antibiotics and screening MRSA bug infections.

Jan Norman, a director at the Northamptonshire Teaching PCT, said tackling infections was a key priority.

Important campaign

"We are pleased to be working with partners across the healthcare economy in Northamptonshire," she said.

The project will include Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust, Kettering General Hospital, Northampton General Hospital and Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Trust.

Sheila White, a member of the Local Involvement Network (Link - formerly Patient Forum), said: "We are very happy to be able to support the local NHS on this important campaign and we are glad that it is being brought into the public domain.

"Massive strides have been made in Northamptonshire to tackle healthcare acquired infections in recent years, but more still needs to be done, and it is up to the public as well as NHS staff to do all we can to keep infection rates down."