Disease outbreak surveillance
Insufficiently comprehensive or risk-based surveillance activities by APHA, leading to reduced capacity to detect new disease threats.
17 items
1 source
3 inquiries
Source spread
Where this theme appears
Disease outbreak surveillance has been flagged across 1 independent accountability source:
17 inquiry recs
This theme has been identified in one data source. As more data is added, cross-references may emerge.
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Inquiry Recommendations (17)
COVID-M3.8 — Recording Healthcare Worker Deaths
Recommendation: The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive should work with their respective public health agencies and healthcare employers to develop nation-specific mechanisms to collect, analyse and publish data systematically on the deaths of healthcare workers in …
Gov response: No formal response published by this government.
Unknown
COVID-M3.1 — IPC Structures and Transmission Risk
Recommendation: The UK government must ensure that there is a body (equivalent to the UK Infection Prevention and Control Cell) in place ready to be convened at the outset of any future pandemic, to consider and draft infection prevention and control …
Gov response: No formal response published by this government.
Unknown
COVID-M3.4 — Data Systems for High-Risk Individuals
Recommendation: The UK government, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and Northern Ireland Executive must ensure that health data and digital systems have the capability to identify individuals at high risk of morbidity or mortality from a pandemic disease quickly and accurately in …
Gov response: No formal response published by this government.
Unknown
R71 — National CDI death monitoring
Recommendation: Scottish Government should identify a national agency to undertake routine national monitoring of deaths related to CDI.
Gov response: Section 2.1 notes the report's call for better national monitoring of HAI-related mortality, particularly C. diff deaths (recommendations 70 and 71). While the response details national and local surveillance data collection for HAI policy and …
Accepted
R53 — Surveillance systems fit for purpose
Recommendation: Health Boards should ensure that surveillance systems are fit for purpose, are simple to use and monitor, and provide information on potential outbreaks in real time.
Gov response: Section 2.1 of the Scottish Government's response details that national and local surveillance data are collected across a range of areas to support and monitor HAI policy, including data for HAI outbreaks. Section 4.2 further …
Accepted
R16 — CDI outbreak reporting
Recommendation: Health Boards should ensure that the nurse in charge of each ward reports suspected outbreaks of CDI (as defined in local guidance) to the Infection Control Team.
Gov response: Section 2.1 of the Scottish Government's response highlights a robust HAI scrutiny regime across NHS Scotland, which drives improvements in infection control and prevention practices. The National Infection Prevention and Control Manual, introduced in January …
Accepted
R4 — Local HAI Task Forces
Recommendation: Scottish Government should develop local healthcare Associated infection (HAI) Task Forces within each Health Board area.
Gov response: Section 2.1 of the Scottish Government's response states that the national Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Taskforce has been restructured into a smaller, more focused group. This group 'will work with local teams and existing structures …
Accepted
F107 — Sharing concerns
Recommendation: If the Health Protection Agency or its successor, or the relevant local director of public health or equivalent official, becomes concerned that a provider's management of healthcare associated infections is or may be inadequate to provide sufficient protection of patients …
Gov response: The government published "Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) on 19 November 2013, responding to all 290 recommendations of the Francis Report. This followed an initial response "Patients First and Foremost" …
Accepted
F106 — Health Protection Agency Coordination and publication of providers' information on healthcare associated infections
Recommendation: The Health Protection Agency and its successor, should coordinate the collection, analysis and publication of information on each provider's performance in relation to healthcare associated infections, working with the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
Gov response: The government published "Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) on 19 November 2013, responding to all 290 recommendations of the Francis Report. This followed an initial response "Patients First and Foremost" …
Accepted
R54 — Surveillance system training
Recommendation: Health Boards should ensure that the users of surveillance systems are properly trained in their use and fully aware of how to use and respond to the data available.
Gov response: Section 4.3 of the Scottish Government's response outlines national education and training initiatives, including a strategy from the HAI Taskforce to ensure all healthcare workers receive appropriate education and training related to HAI. This is …
Accepted
R40 — Prudent antibiotic prescribing
Recommendation: Health Boards should ensure that the key principles of prudent antibiotic prescribing are adhered to and that implementation of policy is rigorously monitored by management.
Gov response: Section 2.1 of the Scottish Government's response emphasizes the major role of prudent antibiotic prescribing in HAI prevention and control. The HAI Taskforce addresses this by developing guidelines, including an antimicrobial prescribing policy for Scotland …
Accepted
R35 — Antibiotic prescribing monitoring
Recommendation: Scottish Government should monitor the implementation of policies and/or guidance on antibiotic prescribing issued in connection with healthcare associated infection.
Gov response: Section 2.1 of the Scottish Government's response details several mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of antibiotic prescribing policies. The HAI Taskforce established the Controlling Antimicrobial Resistance in Scotland Group to oversee activity and produce outcome …
Accepted
R34 — Antimicrobial guidance implementation
Recommendation: Health Boards should ensure that changes in policy and/or guidance on antimicrobial practice issued by or on behalf of Scottish Government are implemented without delay.
Gov response: Section 2.1 of the Scottish Government's response outlines that the HAI Taskforce develops guidelines to improve antimicrobial prescribing practices, including an antimicrobial prescribing policy for Scotland and the Scottish Management of Antimicrobial Resistance Action Plan …
Accepted
R3 — IPC policy review
Recommendation: Health Boards should ensure that infection prevention and control policies are reviewed promptly in response to any new policies or guidance issued by or on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Gov response: Section 2.1 and 3.2 of the Scottish Government's response indicate that NHS boards are required to adhere to revised Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Standards and the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual, with performance against …
Accepted
R2 — HAI implementation strategy
Recommendation: Scottish Government should ensure that policies and guidance on healthcare associated infection are accompanied by an implementation strategy and that implementation is monitored.
Gov response: Section 2.1 of the Scottish Government's response highlights that Revised Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Standards were published in February 2015, which NHS boards will adopt from May 2015, with performance against them forming part of …
Accepted
F108 — Support for other agencies
Recommendation: Public Health England should review the support and training that health protection staff can offer to local authorities and other agencies in relation to local oversight of healthcare providers' infection control arrangements.
Gov response: The government published "Hard Truths: the Journey to Putting Patients First" (Cm 8777) on 19 November 2013, responding to all 290 recommendations of the Francis Report. This followed an initial response "Patients First and Foremost" …
Accepted
R55 — CDI reporting to CEO and Board
Recommendation: Health Boards should ensure that numbers and rates of CDI are reported through each level of the organisation up to the Chief Executive and the Board.
Gov response: Section 2.1 of the Scottish Government's response highlights that national surveillance of C. diff infection is conducted, and a specific C. diff infection target is included in Local Delivery Plan Standards, requiring NHS boards to …
Accepted