PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Urinary Tract Infections (23 September 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the number of catheter acquired urinary tract infections which develop into a gram negative bloodstream infection; and if he will make a statement.

Asked by:
Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative)

Public Health England’s (PHE’s) continuous routine laboratory surveillance does not include device use or procedures associated with urinary infections, such as urinary catheters. Therefore, no estimate has been made of the number of catheter-acquired urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) which develop into a gram-negative bloodstream infection.

No assessment has been made on the effect of CAUTIs on antimicrobial resistance and antibiotic over-prescription.

However, PHE’s English surveillance programme for antimicrobial utilisation and resistance (ESPAUR) is working with the National Health Service and across sectors, to develop and maintain surveillance systems for monitoring trends in antimicrobial use and resistance in England. Further details are available in the ESPAUR report 2018-19 at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/english-surveillance-programme-antimicrobial-utilisation-and-resistance-espaur-report

Answered by:
Jo Churchill (Conservative)
22 October 2020