Press release: Foundation Trust Network comments on Monitor's quarterly report
31 Mar 2008
The Foundation Trust Network welcomes the statement in Monitor's quarterly report on NHS foundation trusts of the continuing productivity and efficiency gains in foundation trusts but recognises that there are still concerns about hospital acquired infections.
Commenting on the report, Sue Slipman, director of the Foundation Trust Network, said:
"It is clear that foundation trusts do take the issue of tackling MRSA seriously. We welcome the fact that the total number of MRSA cases in the foundation trust sector continues to fall.
"However, some of the best performing foundation trusts are also at risk of breaching their targets not because they don't understand the issues and challenges posed by MRSA but because they have already reduced their levels infection to very low numbers.
"The current trajectory target system penalises those foundation trusts with low levels of MRSA unfairly - and puts them at risk of breach when they are dealing, for example, with less than ten cases of MRSA a year. "
Notes for editors
1. The Foundation Trust Network represents existing foundation trusts as well as acute and mental health trusts preparing for foundation status. It was established in June 2004 to represent the views of foundation trusts, to influence health policy and to share learning and good practice. The Network is hosted by the NHS Confederation.
2. The NHS Confederation represents more than 95% of the organisations that make up the NHS. Its members include the majority of NHS acute trusts, ambulance trusts, foundation trusts, mental health trusts, primary care trusts, special health authorities and strategic health authorities in England; trusts and local health boards in Wales; and health and social service trusts and boards in Northern Ireland.
Contact details
Contact Media Relations Officer Ruby Casey-Knight on 020 7074 3306 or 07881 957305. For out of hours media enquiries, please call the Duty Press Officer on 07880 500726.
Back to media centre
