Ipswich Hospital has joined forces with 30 organisations across the NHS to reduce infections for patients having hip and knee replacement surgery.
The collaboration, called the Quality Improvement for Surgical Teams (QIST), will drive forward improvements for patients by scaling up interventions such as screening and the use of body wash and nasal gel treatments for patients carrying the MSSA bug, potentially saving lives.
MSSA is a common cause of infection in joint replacement surgery. Research has shown that interventions – such as decolonisation using nasal gel and body washes – can reduce the risk of infection from MSSA by 60%. The interventions have been tested by Northumbria Healthcare.
Trauma and Orthopaedic surgeon Christopher Martin works for East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, and is based at Ipswich Hospital. He said:
“If, through this collaborative, we can prevent even just one infection – which can be devastating and life-changing for any patient and their loved ones – that will be fantastic. By joining forces and working collaboratively I am confident that this project will benefit far more patients than that, and beyond our local area too.”
Professor Mike Reed, clinical director for trauma and orthopaedics at Northumbria Healthcare and part of the QIST infection collaborative, said:
“The overall ambition of this collaborative is to prove the case we can successfully introduce these interventions and improve care for patients having joint replacement surgery so they become routine clinical practice across the NHS.”
Trauma nurse specialist Jan Wright and surgeon Christopher Martin