What is the Trust doing to prevent infection by C difficile?
"We are continuing to remain vigilant following the outbreak of the C. difficile 027 strain in the Northern Trust area," she said, adding: "The Western Trust is remaining vigilant and doing all that it can to prevent and manage any spread of infection throughout all our health and social care environments. Our highly skilled and committed Infection Prevention and Control Team continue to work very closely with frontline staff to ensure the consistent and rigorous application of evidence-based infection prevention and control techniques."

What is the link between antibiotics and C.difficile?
Antibiotics should be prescribed with care avoiding unnecessary use and ensuring that when they are prescribed that the course is finished. Antibiotics can wipe out good bacteria in the stomach and bowel and this in turn allows the growth of C. difficile in the bowel.

What if a patient arrives at a hospital with C. difficile?
Speaking this week, Alan Corry-Finn, Executive Director of Nursing with the Western Trust, said: "Patients do present at hospitals with C. difficile. Samples are normally taken from patients who arrive at hospital with vomiting and diarrhoea symptoms. The patients are then isolated or cohorted immediately to prevent the further spread of infection. The patient is then cared for in an appropriate setting throughout his/her stay."

What is done when C. difficile is detected?
The laboratory immediately informs the wards and the Infection Prevention and Control Team when a case of C. difficile has been confirmed. The Infection Prevention and Control Team (IPCT) then contacts the relevant service and supports staff in appropriately managing the patient whilst they have their healthcare needs attended to. Guidelines are always available throughout the Trust's facilities on how to manage patients with this condition.

What action is being taken?
Mrs Way said the Western Trust's IPCT worked very closely with and supports services across all of our facilities throughout the Western area in the prevention and safe management of infection in line with clinical standards and safety.
She added that the following procedures and processes were currently in place:
l Clear guidelines to staff which itemises the management of patients and isolation requirements of patients who have infection;
l Restricted visiting;
l Mandatory training for staff;
l Link nurses and professionals provide high levels of expertise at a local level;
l Clear guidance and practices on the environmental and clinical cleaning which needs to be carried out;
l Clear guidance and practice on laboratory testing;
l Clear guidance and practice on personal protective clothing worn by staff;
l Guidance on hand hygiene;
l Information and advice is made available to patients and their families on the management and prevention of infection;
l Antibiotic prescribing policy;
l High impact audits are conducted on individual patients and their environments, the care processes and on the working practices of staff on an ongoing basis.

What are the Key Messages for the public?
We all have a role to play in managing and preventing the spread of infection in healthcare settings. There are three key actions which we can all take in helping to prevent the spread of infection. We can pay attention to good hand hygiene and always wash our hands upon entering and leaving hospitals and hospitals wards. We must refrain from visiting any healthcare setting for 48hours if we have had vomiting or diarrhoea symptoms and last, but no means least, we must refrain from sitting on hospital beds whilst visiting our families and friends. By doing this you can help us to protect and care for those people in hospital who are most vulnerable to infection.
Three per cent of the population carry C difficile in their gut and this increases to 30 per cent in the over 65 age category, but Northern Ireland's rate of infection is half the rate of infection across the UK, she said.

What are the priorities for the future?
In September 2007, the Western Trust wrote to the NI Assembly Health Committee regarding Healthcare Associated Infection. In this, we emphasised the need for further investment in infection prevention and control. The Trust is pleased that the Minister has recently announced an investment of £9million for Infection Prevention and Control. Our priorities for this investment are: Enhancing the IPC Team, both clinical professional and administrative support; further investment in training and protected time for infection control link nurses, and funding for additional cleaning hours.
The Western Trust also welcomes the fact that the Minister has made decisions that cleaning will continue to be delivered by Trust staff in the new PFI Hospitals and that there will be 100 per cent single rooms in new builds.