Guidance

Data-specific policy for revisions and amendments to mandatory surveillance data of Healthcare-associated infections

Updated 27 May 2022

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mrsa-mssa-and-e-coli-bacteraemia-and-c-difficile-infection-mandatory-data-revisions-and-amendments-policy/data-specific-policy-for-revisions-and-amendments-to-mandatory-surveillance-data-of-healthcare-associated-infections

Scope of policy

The policy covers MRSA, MSSA, and E. coli bacteraemia, Klebsiella species (Klebsiella spp.) bacteraemia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) bacteraemia data as well as Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) data collected via the Healthcare-associated Infections Data Capture System (HCAI DCS) and disseminated by the HCAI & Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) department mandatory surveillance team at UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). A full list of the data covered is shown at the end of this policy.

This data-specific policy is supplementary to the information contained in the UKHSA Organisational level Official Statistics Revisions and Corrections Policy.

Handling of routine updates to HCAI DCS data

We will make unscheduled changes to published data if it is warranted by the extent of the changes. For example, if there has been significant system or human error, we may publish interim corrections to published data outside the publication schedule. In these instances, we will always explain in full why we have made such unscheduled changes and we will draw the attention of data users to such changes. Such circumstances will be exceptional. HCAI and AMR professionals will decide to do this with due regard to the needs of data users.

Process for submitting revisions

Requests for the HCAI DCS to be unlocked (for revision or update of the data sets) should be made to [email protected] in line with the standard procedure. More detailed guidance on this process is available in the HCAI DCS Mandatory Surveillance Protocol v4.4

Mandatory Surveillance data published by UKHSA and subject to this revisions policy

The following are published monthly by UKHSA:

  • monthly counts of prior healthcare exposure C. difficile infections by NHS organisations in patients aged 2 years and over
  • monthly counts of E. coli bacteraemia split by location of infection and by NHS organisations
  • monthly counts of P. aeruginosa bacteraemia split by onset of infection and by NHS organisation
  • monthly counts of Klebsiella spp. bacteraemia split by onset of infection and by NHS acute trust
  • monthly counts of MRSA bacteraemia split by onset of infection and by NHS organisation
  • monthly counts of MSSA bacteraemia split by onset of infection and by NHS organisation

The following are published quarterly by UKHSA:

  • quarterly epidemiological commentary: mandatory MRSA, MSSA and Gram-negative bacteraemia, and C. difficile infection data

The following are published annually by UKHSA:

  • financial year counts and rates of MRSA bacteraemia by NHS acute trust and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG)
  • financial year counts and rates of MSSA bacteraemia by NHS acute trust and CCG
  • financial year counts and rates of E. coli bacteraemia by NHS acute trust and CCG
  • financial year counts and rates of P. aeruginosa bacteraemia by NHS acute trust and CCG
  • financial year counts and rates of Klebsiella spp. bacteraemia by NHS acute trust and CCG
  • financial year counts and rates of C. difficile infections bacteraemia by NHS acute trust and CCG (patients aged 2 years and over)
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