ARHAI Scotland 2022 Annual Report

This release is by Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland, part of NHS National Services Scotland (NSS).

This report reflects some of the key work delivered by ARHAI Scotland to support Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) prevention and tackling Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) during 2022. Data are provided for key HCAIs, which are an important cause of severe illness, mortality, and higher treatment costs. This report also highlights how ARHAI Scotland IPC experts have supported the vision of NHS Scotland Assure during 2022, strengthening IPC in the healthcare built environment.

ARHAI Scotland continued to support remobilisation during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022. There was a phased move from dedicated winter respiratory IPC guidance back to Standard Infection Control Precautions and Transmission Based Precautions. A number of mandatory HCAI surveillance programmes were restarted in October 2022 following a pause to support the response during the early stages of the pandemic. These changes reflect some return to pre-pandemic practice whilst acknowledging that the pandemic will shape much within IPC and HCAI surveillance in the future.