Rise In MRSA Infections May Imply System Failure In NHS: Study

The authors including nursing lecturer Brian Cunningham, Professor of Health Research, George Kernohan, and researcher Thomas Rush; say that the situation is the same in 35 specialist hospitals in England. The researchers also estimate that the turnover rate for a single bed could be as little as 72 minutes.

"The Healthcare Commission's annual staff survey based on replies from 209,000 employees in 570 NHS trusts in England reported that one-in-four said trusts did not do enough to promote the importance of hand-cleaning to staff, patients and visitors and nearly 40 per cent of NHS staff do not have constant access to the hot water, soap, paper towels and alcohol rubs needed to prevent the spread of hospital infection," Cunningham said.

"The rise in the incidence of MRSA rates may be a symptom of a systems failure in the central and local management of the NHS."