Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I thank Deputy McGuinness for raising this matter and I am happy to have the opportunity to respond.

The strategy for the control of antimicrobial resistance in Ireland, SARI — including MRSA — was launched by the Department of Health and Children in June 2001. Since then, approximately €20 million in funding has been made available under the strategy. This SARI funding is in addition to normal hospital funding arrangements for infection control.

In 1995 a committee convened by the Department, comprising consultant microbiologists, specialists in public health medicine, general practitioners and infection control nurses produced guidelines for the management of MRSA in acute hospitals. These guidelines have been widely circulated and include an information leaflet for patients.

The infection control sub-committee of the national SARI committee recently prepared revised guidelines in relation to the control of MRSA in Irish hospitals and community health care settings. They key recommendations cover such areas as environmental cleanliness, bed occupancy levels, isolation facilities, hand hygiene, appropriate antibiotic use and protocols for the screening and detection of MRSA. These draft guidelines are based on the best evidence available internationally. The guidelines are being considered by the Health Service Executive at present and when cleared by the HSE will replace the guidelines issued in 1995.

The Deputy will be aware that responsibility for operational issues in relation to the services provided by acute hospitals now rests with the Health Service Executive. The prevention and control of hospital acquired infections, HAIs, is a priority issue for the HSE. Effective infection control measures, including environmental cleanliness and hand hygiene, are central to the control of HAIs, including drug-resistant organisms such as MRSA. The SARI infection control sub-committee released national guidelines for hand hygiene in health care settings during 2004. These guidelines have been widely circulated by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre and are available on its website.

Improving the standards of cleanliness in hospitals is a priority. One of the specific actions identified by the Minister for Health and Children in the ten point plan to improve the delivery of accident and emergency services refers to the need to address this particular issue.

My Department understands that the director of the National Hospitals Office will have a hygiene audit of hospitals carried out this summer by external consultants. The results of the audit are expected to inform the national standards for infection control and cleaning. The HSE is responsible for the follow-through on the ground of pragmatic and concrete efforts to deal with this challenge and to ensure that patients receive appropriate levels of protection. Standards of hygiene must be upheld and the Minister is committed to ensuring this.

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