After 5 years of working with and supporting the NHS, the Targeted Support Team - the improvement arm of the Healthcare Associated Infection (HCAI) Division - is to close. This will happen by September 30, 2010.

Up until this time, the team will continue supporting the NHS in ways that have been highlighted from previous feedback and requests from organisations and stakeholders. This will ensure the NHS is equipped to carry on the good work and continue to reduce infections at a local level.

After September, the Department of Health HCAI policy team will continue to lead this area, and will engage with SHAs through the SHA HCAI Leads forum.

Whilst reducing infection was the key driver in implementing this improvement stream of work, sustaining those reductions and embedding good practice across the NHS was also a primary aim.

Working directly with SHAs and PCTs, as well as scores of Trusts, the Targeted Support team helped shift attitudes across the NHS from one of 'infection happens' to one of 'infection is intolerable'. This shift also raised awareness that reducing infection was not just the remit of the infection control team, but ultimately everyone's responsibility. We all have a part to play to reduce infection.

Moving forward, reducing HCAIs remains a key concern for the Coalition. The revised NHS Operating Framework for 2010-11 made clear we must pursue a zero tolerance approach to avoidable infections and NHS organisations should deliver continuous improvement.

Whilst we will carry on working with you over the coming months, we will be systematically refining content and information with the aim that everyone will know how they can locally reduce infections and continue the success the NHS has demonstrated to date in tackling this issue.

The NHS is committed to providing clean, safe care to pat ients with privacy and dignity. A raft of revised online resou! ! rces and tools will remain so organisations and those committed to reducing infection can continue their professional duty. Detail of this information will be forwarded in due course.

For further enquiries, please email reducinghcai@dh.gsi.gov.uk

www.clean-safe-care.nhs.uk