URINARY TRACT INFECTIONS

That this House notes that urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common form of hospital-acquired infection accounting for more than 30 per cent of all infections; further notes that 80 per cent of UTIs can be traced to urinary catheters; recognises that catheter-associated UTIs (CAUTI) can be linked to MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and lead to more serious conditions with significant risk of mortality; further recognises that changes in hospital practice and technology have been shown to reduce rates of CAUTI; believes simple developments such as monitoring and recording the number of CAUTIs in each hospital would lead to improvements; and calls on the Department of Health to produce a national strategy and guidance for trusts on reducing the incidence of CAUTI.