Infection Prevention Control Annual Report 2022_23

Introduction and Forward
I am pleased to present my third annual report on infection prevention and control (IPC) for Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (BHT). Working with a dedicated and hardworking team who have received support from colleagues across the organisation has been a privilege. Working together, we have followed national guidance and best practices to achieve high infection prevention and control standards.

Despite the challenges faced over the past year, we can report that the Trust has made progress in reducing cases of Clostridiodes difficle (C.difficile). Our clinical teams have collaborated to improve antimicrobial stewardship, appropriate sampling, and patient placement. As we move to live with COVID-19, we aim to provide safe and efficient care with an emphasis on hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, cleanliness, and other infection prevention and control measures has been essential.

The vaccination program at BHT has played a vital role in managing the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are pleased to report that our colleagues have achieved a 59.5% uptake for the flu vaccine and 57.3% for the COVID-19 vaccine. BHT is the second highest among the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Berkshire West Integrated Care System (ICS). This success is due to the hard work of our vaccine team.

Karen Bonner
Chief Nurse, Director of Infection Prevention Control