New Nurse Consultant in Infection Control

Date published: 27/11/2006

Claire Chadwick is Pennine Acute Trust’s latest recruit helping to tackle infections.

Claire, from Newhey, is on secondment for six months from the Christie Hospital, the North West’s specialist cancer hospital, while Louise Dickinson, Manchester’s first infection control nurse consultant, takes a career break.

Claire said: "The challenges for Pennine are very similar to those the Christie Hospitals face but on a much larger and faster scale. These are controlling hospital acquired infection and implementing the Department of Health’s strategies for controlling MRSA and clostridium difficile (C Diff).

"The challenge for me is to get to know the right staff across the Trust so I can move action plans forward with their support. I’ve been encouraged by the staff I’ve met so far and the commitment and support they’ve shown in supporting the MRSA and infection control action plan. While I’m at the Trust, I’d like to see a sustained reduction in the number of MRSA bacteraemias and to make sure that infection control is everyone’s business."

Claire was Christie’s first lead nurse for infection control and has been in the post for the past 12 years. Prior to that, she worked in the in the Infectious Disease department at the former Monsall Hospital, now part of North Manchester General Hospital.