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MRSA research (foreign countries)

  • Last modified date:
    8 February 2007
Information on studies into methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in other countries.

Question

1. Details of whether the Department of Health (DH) has carried out or commissioned any studies into how other countries have coped with MRSA and the lessons that can be learnt from other countries.

2. Details of reports written by the Chief Medical Officer following his visit to the Erasmus MC University Medical Centre in Rotterdam where he held discussions with microbiologists involved in maintaining the hospital's low MRSA levels.

Response

1. We are not aware of any formal studies commissioned or carried out by the Department.  However, as set out in Towards Cleaner Hospitals and Lower Rates of Infection, we have been working with experts from other countries to see what lessons we can learn from how they have dealt with healthcare associated infections.

In June 2004, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) visited Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.  During this visit he spoke with microbiologists involved in maintaining the hospital's low level of MRSA. The CMO's thoughts and conclusions from this visit have been fed into the overall programme of work aimed at reducing healthcare associated infections in the UK.

Following on from this visit, Dr Margreet Vos from the Erasmus University Medical Centre was invited to speak at the Department of Health sponsored workshop on MRSA - Learning from the Best, which was held on 20 January 2005.  Also present, were experts from other countries such as the United States of America and Australia.  A summary of this workshop can be found on the Department's website.

In addition, international experts attended the Science Summit which was held by the Department on 15 and 16 December 2004. Several experts gave presentations on research into controlling healthcare associated infections, including MRSA.  A summary of this conference will shortly be available on the Department's website.

2. The visit gave the CMO the opportunity to discuss with medical professionals how they maintained low levels of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in their hospital.  Sir Liam's thoughts and conclusions from this visit were communicated to senior colleagues within the Department through meetings and oral briefings and have thereby been incorporated within the overall programme of work aimed at reducing healthcare associated infections in the UK.  A record of Sir Liam's visit was not produced in a written form.

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