Urgent action is required to reduce the devastating impact of surgical site infections (SSIs) in the UK, according to the report entitled ‘Time to Act: A State of the Nation Report on Surgical Site Infections in the UK’.
The report, launched by medical solutions company Mölnlycke with support and contributions from clinical experts, provides the fullest possible picture of SSI rates currently available. It details the impact they have on patients and the NHS, and profiles perspectives and best practice recommendations from clinicians working on the frontline of infection prevention.
Currently 1 in 20 patients who undergo a surgical procedure in the NHS contract an SSI, yet 60% of these infections are preventable. Every SSI is estimated to cost between £10,000 and £100,000 per patient, significantly increasing the cost for NHS hospitals, at a time when budgets are already under extraordinary pressure from COVID-19.
Commenting on the launch of the new report, Professor Mike Reed, Consultant Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon at Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Chief Investigator for the Quality Improvement for Surgical Teams Infection collaborative, said: “SSIs can ruin lives, potentially resulting in months of additional operations and leading to devastating consequences for patients and their families. There is also significant cost to the NHS and wider health outcomes for the UK. To meet the challenges we face from SSIs, we need to convince people of the nature and scale of the problem. Stakeholders from across the health system, including patients, healthcare professionals, industry and policy-makers need to be aware of the challenges, and work together to help construct and embed the solutions.”
Click here for the link to the report.