SSHAIP collaborate with other countries to share best practice and surveillance results. Collaborations include
Pan Celtic Collaboration
The Pan Celtic collaboration is a major UK initiative involving hospitals from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The first report from the Pan Celtic surveillance programme was produced in March 2004 and covered orthopaedic procedures carried out between 2001 and 2003. This second report presents the results of the analysis of data including procedures carried out in 2004. The report incorporates data collected by clinical teams in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales; utilising standard internationally agreed definitions and provides a database, which is compatible with European initiatives. The links with the other parts of the United Kingdom, Europe and with the wider international community through the Pan Celtic collaboration will accelerate the achievement of an understanding of the complexities of SSI.
As the surveillance data accumulates, the opportunities to inform good practice will be increased, ensuring where possible that data from surveillance are translated into improvements in clinical practice, the identification of emerging hazards and the review of structural change, new technologies and changing clinical procedures. This will be an important and exciting part of future Pan Celtic collaborative work towards reducing the risks of SSI following orthopaedic surgery and enhancing patient safety in the UK.
The second collaboration for this group will be for caesarean section SSI surveillance. The first report from this collaboration is anticipated in 2007.
Helics (Hospitals in Europe link through Infection Control and surveillance)
The European iniative HELICS is part of a larger initiative entitled Improving Patient Safety in Europe (IPSE). It involves prospective surveillance of surgical site infections and ICU HAI surveillance. Scotland are particpating in both of these surveillance initiatives.
By aggregating surveillance data from official surveillance networks in European countries, a European database has been established. This European database is not meant to establish an alert system, but to generate European reference figures and policy information.
Other
The SSHAIP team also collaborates with the Health Protection Agency in Colindale and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.
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