THE NHS is a fighting a losing battle against an increasing number of drug resistance bacteria strains, such as MRSA and C diff, according to a leading infection control expert. Alison Holmes, director of infection control and consultant in infectious diseases at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said the NHS was ‘running out of options’ because of the increasing number of drug-resistant bacterial strains it was encountering. Ms Holmes was addressing MPs at the Commons Health Select Committee’s investigation into patient safety. She said: ‘We understand antibiotic prescribing can be helpful. But there is a clear relationship with C diff – and particular strains of [drug resistant] C diff. We need to be gathering data about which antibiotics to use. ‘[Antibiotics] are clearly helpful and we need to use them – but we are running out of choices here and they are driving C diff.’
via NHS losing fight against drug-resistant MRSA and C diff says infection control expert.
