Active Projects

Objective assessment of hospital ward cleaning using hygiene surveillance and continuous improvement process tools

HaCIRIC runs a new multidisciplinary research programme on controlling healthcare associated infections (HCAI) such as Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridium difficile. The cost of HCAI to the NHS in 2000 was estimated to be as high as £1 billion a year, with potential avoidable costs of around £150 million annually. Estimates suggest that at any one time 9 per cent of all inpatients have an infection associated with their care in hospital.

Project Facts

Start date: October 2008
End date: December 2010
Investigators Dr. Danish J Malik; Dr. Gilbert Shama; Professor David J. Williams
Staff Employed Pawel Wolyniec; Krusha Patel
Status Active

Project Partners

  • 3M Microbiology
  • University Hospitals of Leicester

Project Partners

HaCIRIC
Department of Civil and Building Engineering
Loughborough University
Ashby Road
Loughborough
Leicestershire
LE11 3TU
T: +44 (0) 15 0922 2627
E: d.j.malik(at)lboro(dot)ac(dot)uk

This project investigates the efficacy of the routine cleaning currently undertaken in hospital wards to reduce transmission of HCAI. Cleanliness on hospital wards is currently assessed using subjective methods, primarily visual inspection. The research compares routine subjective assessment with objective methods such as quantitative microbiological data, and uses a hygiene surveillance tool – 3M Clean-Trace – to evaluate the cleanliness of high-contact surfaces and the general hospital ward environment.

It is envisaged the impact of the research findings will be of immediate national and international importance, contributing to reduce HCAI.