National Healthcare
Associated Infection Research Network
The national priorities for
healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) research were set out
in the Department of Health (DH) Chief Medical Officer's
report Winning Ways (DH, 2003). Within this document the
need was identified for a national network for HCAI
research. In early 2006, the responsibility for managing
this initiative was contracted to the Richard Wells Research
Centre at Thames Valley University London and the Department
of Health's National HCAI Research Network is now
established.
The Network is directed by Professor Robert Pratt and
supported by a group of senior research staff within the
Richard Wells Research Centre. The day to day management of
the Network is undertaken by its Principal Research Officer,
Alison Tingle. Professor David Edwards, the previous manager
of the DH Antimicrobial Resistance Research Programme has
joined the Network as their scientific advisor.
The key aims of the HCAI Research Network are to contribute
to the strategic development of the national research agenda
in this field and support and manage DH funded HCAI-related
research.
Major projects funded through the Department's Policy
Research Programme's call for research into the
cost-effectiveness of interventions for the control of HCAI
have been managed and supported by the Network. These
include a diverse range of studies such as those focusing on
the role of managing the hospital environment, environmental
decontamination, MRSA carriage in care home settings and
modelling MRSA intervention policies. These studies are
reporting this summer and details of the research are
available on our site (see
Research Projects).
An Advisory Board for the HCAI Network, The National
Research Priorities Advisory Group (NRPAG) (see
Advisory Group) has been established. Chaired
by Professor Charles Easmon, Deputy Chairman of the Health
Protection Agency Board, its primary function is to advise
on national priorities for HCAI research.
A Service User Research Forum (SURF) [see
www.hcaisurf.org) has also been established. This group
provides a unique opportunity to identify public and user
concerns in a systematic way, provide an interface for
service users and researchers in the field of infection and
microbiology and develop the knowledge and skills of service
users and professionals to work together in the
prioritisation, design and conduct of research.
In addition, the Network is currently developing plans to:
• Coordinate with other research funders to explore how best
to bring relevant research into the managed Network;
• Enhance research capacity and capability in this area (by
providing relevant interdisciplinary research training and
opportunities for methodological support and advice to HCAI
researchers);
• Provide support to research groups for research governance
and ethical approval processes.
The Network aims to act as a
forum for encouraging high quality HCAI research to provide the best available evidence for
practice and which effectively responds to the challenge of
reducing HCAI throughout the National Health Service.
