Surveillance of Healthcare Associated Infection in Intensive Care Units Protocol

This document outlines the methodologies for the national surveillance programme for surveillance of healthcare associated infection (HAI) in intensive care units (ICUs).

The Data and Intelligence team at ARHAI Scotland and the Scottish Intensive Care Audit Group (SICSAG) work collaboratively to lead a national surveillance programme for surveillance of HAI in ICUs. The SICSAG quality indicators for critical care mandate that all ICUs must have an ICU surveillance system in place and the HAI and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) policy set out in 'HAI and AMR Policy Requirements' DL(2015) 19, states that ICUs in all NHS Boards should undertake HAI surveillance. Following a pause of surveillance to support the pandemic response, surveillance was recommenced in May 2023 as communicated in HAI DL (2023) 11. The national surveillance programme supports NHS boards to comply with these requirements.

Data to support the surveillance programme is collected through the SICSAG WardWatcher(TM) audit system and Electronic Communication of Surveillance Scotland. Guidance on accessing the WardWatcher(TM) system can be found via the SICSAG website.