Wolverhampton City PCT - 'Gold' Care Homes Keep It In The Family

January 19, 2009

‘GOLD’ CARE HOMES KEEP IT IN THE FAMILY!

The two top-scoring residential homes in Wolverhampton in a brand new audit on infection control standards are run separately by a mother and her daughter. Gold care homes

Margaret Simms, who runs Oaks Court at Chapel Ash and her daughter Helen Simms, who runs Bethrey House, Goldthorn Park, were among 32 care homes assessed by Wolverhampton City Primary Care Trust’s infection prevention team - and both scored at least 95 per cent and gold status.

The PCT is among the first in the UK to introduce an annual audit of infection prevention standards in local care homes– and to develop a scheme to encourage continual improvement.

A total of 25 care homes – including nursing, residential, learning disability and resource centres – achieved over 80 per cent compliance with key infection prevention standards in the first audit and have been awarded a gold, silver or bronze certificate depending on their score. Each has also signed up to the PCT’s Infection Prevention Charter to continually standards.

Jeanette Wilding, the PCT’s director of healthcare governance and infection prevention and control, said: “We didn’t realise the two managers were related until the award ceremony. There respective nursing homes both did fantastically well in the audit and are our first two gold status recipients.

“The aim of the programme is to improve hygiene standards year-on-year and to formally acknowledge care home staff’s commitment and hard work in this area. The main reason Wolverhampton has been so successful in reducing healthcare-acquired infections is that we work together as a health economy across hospitals, health centres and other community settings such as nursing and residential care homes.”

The audit gives care homes scores for their compliance in key categories such as hand hygiene, waste management, environment and equipment for infection prevention. These standards are in addition to and beyond any other hygiene requirements care homes have to comply with.

Ends

Editor’s notes:

Audit programme scores are 80-87% = bronze; 88-94% = silver and 95% and over = gold.

Most of the remaining care homes have scored at least 70 per cent in the infection prevention base line audit and should achieve bronze status by the end of 2009. Homes achieving bronze status are expected to continually improve and to more on to chieve silver, then gold, levels.

Wolverhampton’s other successes in infection prevention and control include:

The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals Trust winning two major national awards for its work in reducing cross infection including MRSA.

The PCT being invited to participate in a Department of Health summit on Clostridium difficile to share its good practice on how it is successfully reducing cases of the infection.

The PCT ahead of Department of Health requirements for introducing alcohol-based hand gel on wards at the point of care.

The PCT being one of the first in the country to offer MRSA screening of patients admitted to the community hospital and to residents in care homes to identify those colonised with MRSA and offer treatment. The PCT has also commenced root cause analysis investigations on all cases of Clostriduim difficile. Lessons learned from the investigations are immediately actioned and are proving successful in reducing cases.