Open AccessThe impact of an ambulance vehicle preparation service on the presence of bacteria: a service evaluation
Author(s) -
Mo Mackenzie,
Richard Pilbery
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
british paramedic journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1478-4726
DOI - 10.29045/14784726.2019.03.3.4.27
Subject(s) - medicine , quartile , personal protective equipment , ambulance service , emergency medicine , medical emergency , covid-19 , confidence interval , disease , infectious disease (medical specialty)
Around 300,000 patients a year in England acquire a healthcare-associated infection (HAI) while being cared for by the NHS. The contribution from NHS Ambulance Services is not known, but previous studies have identified the presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterococcus , including resistant strains in some cases, inside ambulances. To improve ambulance cleanliness, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust (YAS) piloted an Ambulance Vehicle Preparation Service (AVPS) at two ambulance stations, where staff were tasked with ensuring every ambulance at these stations was cleaned every 24 hours.