Tackling Infection
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How are we tackling infection?

  • All of our staff, especially the doctors and nurses, are working very hard to make sure that our patients are as safe as possible and that their risk of infection is reduced to an absolute minimum.
  • We have amended many of our procedures to help prevent infection including operating theatre routines, aseptic dressing technique and sterilisation of instruments. 
  • Good hand hygiene plays a major role and we regularly carry out hand hygiene training and audits to ensure that staff are cleaning their hands appropriately.
  • All of our clinical staff are ‘bare below the elbows', which assists with good hand hygiene and also leaves the site of examination free of any clothing. 
  • Environmental cleaning plays a relatively small part in the prevention of infections, but it is important that the Royal Surrey is as clean as it can be as it is much more pleasant for our staff and patients.  Our cleaning standards are monitored monthly. 
  • We are also participating in the National Patient Safety Agency's ‘Clean Your Hands' campaign, which promotes good hand hygiene for staff, patients and visitors. 
  • Regular infection control education sessions are provided for all staff and audits of infection control practices are undertaken utilising the audit processes as recommended in the Saving Lives document issued by the Department of Health.
  • All of our healthcare associated infections are monitored closely and the more serious cases, including MRSA and C difficile, are assessed and analysed to try to prevent further infections occurring.
  • We aim to screen all patients with planned admissions (with some special exceptions such as children and pregnant women) for MRSA.
  • When patients have serious infections, we care for them in a single room to help prevent the spread of infection.