§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to adopt similar proposals to those introduced in Scotland on the development of training packages for NHS staff groups on healthcare-associated infection risk assessment and management; and if he will make a statement. [79697]
§ Mr. HuttonThe National Health Service University (NHSU), the organisation set-up by the Department to establish a university for the National Health Service, is leading a pilot project to deliver training programmes in cleaning, at NVQ Level One, and infection control, leading to a college certificate. It is expected that at least 4,000 NHS staff will have benefited from this initiative by the end of the pilot project in May 2003. The project will be evaluated and if successful, these or similar programmes will form part of NHSU's ongoing portfolio of courses.
Our strategy to combat infectious disease, Getting Ahead of the Curve, aims to reassert control over serious infectious disease problems and identified healthcare associated infection (HCAI) as a priority area. A new targeted action plan to address HCAI is being developed and this will consider training. The plan should be ready around the end of the year.