RCPE Press Release
28 March 2013
***FOR IMMEDIATE USE: 27 March 2013***
DOCTORS WARN OVER-OCCUPANCY OF HOSPITAL BEDS IS BECOMING MAIN CAUSE OF NOROVIRUS: HAND-CLEANING ALONE IS NOT EFFECTIVE
Commenting on the Health Protection Scotland audit on infection control published today [1], Dr Neil Dewhurst, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, said,
“It is clearly of concern that this audit has reported lower levels of good hand hygiene in doctors than in other health professions. It is essential that all members of clinical teams, including all levels of doctors, practise good hygiene, which can include either washing hands with water or cleaning with alcohol-based gel, depending upon the type of infection encountered. This will help to reduce the spread of infections.
“However, this must not be allowed to detract from the fact that it is increasingly being recognised that high levels of bed occupancy and over-capacity, involving the boarding out of medical patients to other wards due to bed shortages, is becoming one of the main causes of the spread of norovirus in hospitals. The NHS in Scotland continues to experience high levels of bed occupancy and boarding with reports in the last week of 124% bed occupancy in Fife [2] and 101% in Lothian [3], while it is recognised that occupancy above 85% can cause critical problems for patient care. Recent Health Protection Scotland guidance reminds us that “hospitals have high bed occupancy rates and … there is a high potential to transmit the virus to other care settings before it is recognised that patients could be infectious … effective hand hygiene alone is insufficient to prevent cross-infection” [4] Boarding out of patients to other wards magnifies and continues the problem, with the situation deteriorating further when wards have to be closed due to infection outbreaks and undergo deep cleaning. This becomes a vicious circle and action has to be taken to break it.
“While good hand hygiene is essential, it has to be recognised that this alone will not prevent outbreaks of norovirus and greater energy must be focussed on reducing the movement of patients within hospitals”.
Contact: Graeme McAlister on 0131-247-3693 or 07733-263453
ENDS
Notes to Editors
[4] http://www.documents.hps.scot.nhs.uk/hai/infection-control/toolkits/norovirus-control-measures-2013-09.pdf
