NHS bosses urged to use Byotrol
22nd Jul 2009NHS bosses have been told of a breakthrough in the battle against the hospital superbug by former Health Minister Lord Warner.
Lord Warner has written to hundreds of chairmen of NHS trusts highlighting the potentially life-saving new findings according to the biggest-ever independent clinical trial just completed at the Manchester Royal Infirmary.
The study, led by MRI microbiologist Dr Andrew Dodgson, found that a new polymer-based disinfectant Byotrol, has cut levels of MRSA on wards by one third in comparison with the NHS "gold standard" bleach-based cleaner.
Dr Dodgson has called the results "impressive" and urged wider NHS use of Byotrol. The MRI trial holds out the hope of sharply reducing infections and deaths associated with healthcare acquired infections (HCAIs), which are still running at more than 8,000 a year despite a £120 million NHS-wide "deep clean" operation in hospitals.
Lord Warner, an adviser to Manchester-based Byotrol PLC, says in his letter that the trial demonstrates a "significant breakthrough in how we should clean hospitals".
"The scientific evidence indicates that Byotrol is a better option for hospitals than cleaning with bleach or other cleaning regimes currently used. The structure of Byotrol looks to be a more flexible cleaning agent for dealing with a wider range of bacteria in HCAIs, including clostridium difficile."
Lord Warner also urged NHS bosses to consider using Byotrol-based hand cleaning and sanitising products, which may be of particular help with the swine flu pandemic gathering pace. "I have written to the National Patient Safety Agency and the Department of Health about trying to clarify the science on whether the NHS should rely so heavily on alcohol-based products when there may be alternative less damaging products around," the letter says.
Byotrol achieves much better results than conventional cleaning agents because its polymer structure means it retains its antibacterial qualities for several days after application. Unlike chlorine-based cleaners, it is not harsh on the skin or corrosive to surfaces in a hospital ward. Lord Warner has written to 12 chairmen of strategic health authorities, 174 chairmen of acute hospital trusts, 122 chairmen of foundation trusts and the 49 chairmen of the member trusts of TrustTECH, the NHS innovation hub.