A WARD at Nevill Hall Hospital is only the second in the Aneurin Bevan Health Board area to be infection free for 300 days since new measures were put in place a year ago to combat the issue.

Staff working on Usk Ward at the Abergavenny hospital were congratulated for reaching over 300 days without a single case of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, more commonly known as MRSA or Clostridium Difficile infection being discovered.

Doctors, nurses and domestic staff have worked closely together to create an environment where infections cannot thrive.

The achievement is all the more remarkable as the ward is a trauma and orthopaedic ward, which is deemed a high-risk area for infections.

Paying tribute to the hard work of ward sister, Sarah Goodgame and all the staff on the ward, Nurse Director, Denise Llewellyn said, "This is a significant achievement which has been recognised by the Health Board.

"Infections can be devastating, not only for the patient and their family, but infections also impact massively on the workload of staff. The measures that have been adopted here are not rocket science, but by not letting standards slip Usk Ward is now a great example of what can be achieved if we stay focussed on infection control."

Simple measures such as good general hygiene and hand washing practices have been crucial in reaching the 300-day infection free mark. Staff on Usk Ward are determined now to make it to 500 days without an infection.

Medical Director, Dr Grant Robinson, added: "This is by no means a small thing; if Sarah and her staff can achieve this on such a high risk ward then I know their excellent work can be replicated on other wards to benefit patients across the Health Board area."