MRSA screening

Over the past few years NHS Kirklees and local hospitals have undertaken a considerable amount of work to reduce Healthcare Associated infections which are infections patients can get when they visit hospitals, general practitioners, nursing homes or any other acre facility. We have already made some significant improvements within the patch, however we are committed to further improvements.  Our hospitals and day case unit at Holme Valley Memorial Hospital have implemented a screening policy for elective (waiting list admissions) and emergency admissions.

Information on how this may affect you can be found here. But if you require any more information please contact one of our infection prevention and control team who will be pleased to help you.

Currentlyt NHS Kirklees screens elective and emergency admissions using the following protocols:

Elective admissions/attendances (patients coming into hospital for an operation or a surgical procedure)

Wherever possible screening will take place in the pre-assessment clinic. Where this is not possible patients will be screened when they attend for the operation or procedure:

• All patients having an elective in-patient or day-case surgical procedure; this includes all surgical and medical specialties unless specifically exempt below.  This also includes women for elective caesarean section.
• All patients attending for elective in-patient interventions/invasive procedures. This includes all surgical and medical specialties unless specifically exempt below.
• Some patients whose procedure does not need them to stay in hospital will also need to be screened and our hospitals will screen as per the Department of Health recommendations.

Emergency admission

All patients are screened on the day of admission or the next day at the very latest. This includes:

• All emergency in-patient admissions. This includes all surgical and medical specialties. The only exception to this is for fertility or obstetric admissions where only women fulfilling high risk criteria need be screened.
• All patients in Critical Care Units will be screened on admission.

Continuing screening requirements

Patients in Critical Care Units are screened weekly whilst on these units.

• All in-patients whose stay is prolonged, regardless of whether the original admission was classed as elective or emergency.
• In-patients with any type of central venous catheter.
• Out-patients with any type of central venous catheter will be screened monthly.
• Patients who attend out-patient/day-case departments on a regular basis for specific courses of treatment or care pathways, for example patients requiring Renal dialysis, or chemotherapy treatments.
• Bespoke regimes for these groups have been agreed with the Infection Prevention and Control Teams in the hospitals.

Screening exemptions

The following patient groups do not need to be routinely screened:

• Day case ophthalmic surgery; screen high risk patients only.
• Day case dental.
• Day case endoscopy.
• Minor dermatology procedures e.g. warts or other liquid nitrogen applications. Patients having more invasive dermatological procedures should be routinely screened.
• Children / pediatric patients; screen high risk patients only
• Maternity/obstetric patients. Women having elective fertility or obstetric procedures, including termination of pregnancy, do not need to be screened unless they fulfill high risk criteria.