UK drive to reduce number of hospital-acquired infections
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
Enforcing effective device decontamination is at the centre of new UK Department of Health (DoH) plans to reduce the "unacceptably high" incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). Up to 5,000 deaths per year are attributable to HAIs, according to the National Audit Office. It claims that around 15% of the 100,000 cases recorded annually are avoidable, which could mean potential savings to the National Health Service (NHS) of £150 million ($220 million).