NICE introduces new hygiene and infection preventions standards

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published new guidance aimed at helping medical professionals to reduce infection rates within the NHS.

Under the new standards, doctors will be required to prescribe antibiotics in accordance with local antibiotic formularies, as part of a system to stem resistance of infections to antibiotics and prevent the emergence of superbugs.

Meanwhile, healthcare workers will need to always clean their hands thoroughly before and after contact or care, with new hygiene standards for the use of urinary catheters and vascular access devices also being introduced.

Currently, around 300,000 people get an infection while being cared for within the NHS in England each year.

Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive and director of health and social care at NICE, said: "This quality standard gives primary, community and secondary care services the most up-to-date advice on the best ways to minimise the risks of infections."

This comes as the government is also seeking to improve NHS safety standards with the introduction of new safe staffing level requirements.