MRSA Screening Policy

This Trust has an MRSA screening policy in place. Chief executive Diane Whittingham confirmed at the board of directors meeting on March 26, 2009, that the Trust was compliant with the policy and had evidence to show this.

More patients than ever before are being screened to check whether they are carrying the MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus) bacteria on the skin before they have operations.  

Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium (germ), which up to 30 per cent of the population carry on parts of their skin or in the nose without any problems or infections developing.  

The increased screening of patients at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary and Calderdale Royal Hospital is part of a Government initiative to reduce the number of MRSA bacteraemias – infections caused by the germ entering the bloodstream.  

Before, only medical patients over the age of 65, some surgery patients and some emergency admissions were screened.  Now all surgery, medical in-patients and emergency admissions are to be screened.  

Swabs are taken from the skin during a patient’s pre-operative assessment appointment before their surgery date and sent for analysis. If they prove positive then they begin a course of bodywash five days before their surgery to reduce the risk before they are admitted.  

All Trusts in the country are expected to have full screening for elective (planned) patients by the end of March 2009.  

The hospital laboratories now carry out up to 160 MRSA tests a days on swabs from patients due to undergo surgery and who are admitted into hospital.

Click to view the MRSA screening policy under Section T of the infection control policies.