Congratulations to our Infection Prevention and Control and Hepatitis C Outreach Teams for being shortlisted for Nursing Times Awards.
The Infection Control Team has been shortlisted for their approach to changing staff behaviour to enable ownership of Carbapenem Resistant Organism (CRO) risk assessment. CRO infection is associated with poorer patient recovery, increased morbidity, mortality, increase in length of stay and higher hospital costs.
A process was implemented to ensure a consistent approach for the management of patients suspected or confirmed as CRO positive and to prevent the risk of further transmission. This saw a significant behaviour change in our staff in terms of adherence to infection prevention and control best practices.
The Hepatitis C Outreach Team has been shortlisted for their innovative outreach project to screen and treat the local homeless community for hepatitis C and liver damage.
Homeless people are historically at a much higher risk of contracting hepatitis C, a blood borne virus that can cause liver damage, as well as being less likely to access essential healthcare. The team have been screening patients for hepatitis C and liver damage, treating those who need it.