Utilizing science to design out healthcare related infections


This 12 months’s British Science Week theme is “connections” and all through the week we’re taking a look at how UKHSA science is carried out in partnership with a variety of organisations. On this weblog Ginny Moore – an professional in utilized environmental microbiology analysis – seems at our work to assist hospitals stop the unfold of infections, which includes working with each hospitals and educational companions.

An vital a part of the work we do at UKHSA is about understanding how infections unfold in several environments. Having the ability to scale back the unfold of infectious illnesses is vital to stopping outbreaks and conserving the general public protected.

An apparent and very important place to review how infections may unfold is in hospitals.

Hospitals have stringent measures in place to forestall infections, however in any location the place there are giant numbers of sick folks in a single place (some extra weak and susceptible to a extra critical sickness than others) we should do all the pieces we are able to to keep away from infections; sometimes called nosocomial or healthcare-associated infections.


UKHSA science truth file: Biosafety and setting

One in every of our specialist capabilities at UKHSA is investigating the function of the constructed setting within the transmission of an infection.

This includes analysis to know how microorganisms unfold, whether or not in water, via the air or on surfaces, and utilizing this data to research and perceive how actual outbreaks have occurred.

We additionally perform analysis to research how one can minimise or stop the unfold of an infection.


To place the absolute best recommendation and steering in place to cut back healthcare-associated infections, we have to hold finding out how microorganisms (like micro organism or viruses) transfer round areas like hospital wards.

Nevertheless, we clearly can’t go into an actual hospital with reside micro organism or a reside virus to see the way it spreads.

So, what do you do if you have to examine the precise situations present in a hospital ward with out placing anybody in danger? You construct one among course.

Photo of Porton down hospital ward

UKHSA has constructed a modular ward on our web site at Porton Down – a bespoke analysis facility only for examine functions.

Our specialist facility consists of single and multiple-bedded rooms, a destructive strain isolation suite and ancillary areas (for instance, a unclean utility room, a laundry, kitchen and workplace), all constructed and designed to suit present UK tips which inform how actual wards are constructed.

The power has devoted heating, air flow, and air-con methods. Practical water and drainage methods are additionally in place in addition to the identical surfaces, fixtures, fittings and furnishings you’d discover in an actual ward.

Creating essentially the most life-like hospital ward doable ensures that we are able to higher perceive how microorganisms can reside and unfold on this setting.

The analysis facility permits us to hold out a variety of important actions and research, comparable to:

  • Studying how hospitals can finest take care of the transmission of antimicrobial resistant micro organism.
  • Understanding how microorganisms unfold within the air together with via scientific actions and procedures that generate aerosols (an exercise that may end up in the discharge of small airborne particles or droplets)
  • Learning operating water and the micro organism that reside in faucets, sinks and showers.
  • Understanding how readily micro organism are transferred from surfaces to arms
  • Learning how surfaces may be designed to make them simpler to scrub and the effectiveness of disinfectants used to scrub them.

Previously, we needed to depend on giant scale fashions to hold out this kind of work (for instance faucet, sink and drainage methods) however the brand new ward will assist us take this work to the subsequent stage.

Our ambition is to assist “design out” healthcare-associated infections by understanding all the pieces we are able to about methods to forestall them within the indoor ward setting: this can each shield folks’s well being and tackle the substantial financial prices related to these infections.

The ward presents an thrilling alternative to additional this vital work and is a superb instance of how UKHSA’s science is focussed on real-world sensible issues. As a microbiologist, it’s rewarding to know that the work we do informs front-line coverage and apply and in the end retains sufferers and healthcare professionals protected.

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