MRSA – Getting the message across

John Yuill, MD G&A Environmental, UK

As an outsider (Not in the NHS) and having been involved in infection and decontamination work for the last 25-30 years, I have looked at many different kinds of issues similar to this.

“Spreading the News” is only one of the problems. How do you do this without sensationalising it, and frightening everyone into thinking that we are all going to be eaten alive by some bug that we have allowed to mutate.? Just look at the so called recent flue pandemic, which they forecasted to overwhelm us but in the end did not.

There is no doubt that because of the past overuse of antibiotics, even for the most basic of ill’s and infections, we have contributed to the increased resistance of these infections to the drugs we use to treat them. The NHS have cottoned on to this and are promoting the stricter control of prescribing. The only flaw in this is the lack of understanding across the board especially at the sharp end, which is in the surgeries by GP’s.

The NHS have also implemented measures to reduce the risks of acquiring these infections whilst in their care, which to date have had a major effect in cutting the deaths due to MRSA and C difficle, but it’s not been eliminated or reduced enough yet!

There is no doubt that these statistics show that the NHS staff are also “at risk” and that without clearly defined guidelines they will fall short of protecting themselves and those in their care.

Hospitals are not the only area we must look at, it’s the community care which is the more difficult one to improve or control. The Hospital environment will always be easier to manage than the outside community clinics and care homes.

G&A Environmental provide decontamination, decommissioning and asbestos survey and management services for the pharmaceutical, chemical, healthcare, nuclear and industrial markets.

Duty of care to manage asbestos

Asbestos kills! Prevent needless exposure to it

Don’t you find it absolutely staggering that over half a million commercial buildings in this day and age actually still contains asbestos?!!

Just think about the poor tradesmen that carry out building maintenance and repairs to such properties, how much at risk they actually are.  Every year over a thousand of them die unnecessarily because they have at some stage been exposed to.  The sad thing is it can all be prevented.

Everyone who is responsible for managing the maintenance and repair of a building MUST clearly and systematically identify and manage any asbestos within it – failure to do this you risk massive fines.

If that’s you, get yourself a qualified asbestos surveyor now to help you out, it’s your duty of care to do so.