CBSSI annual report 2025

• All Wales/National

The Healthcare Associated Infection, Antimicrobial Resistance and Prescribing Programme (HARP) team at Public Health Wales (PHW), Health Protection were instructed by the Welsh Government to develop and support the implementation of surveillance following Caesarean birth (C-birth) procedures undertaken in NHS hospitals in Wales. This process has been mandatory since January 2006.

Surgical Site Infection (SSI) is an important area for surveillance and remains a complication of surgery where human and financial costs are high (Plowman, 2000; Jenks, Laurent, McQuarry & Watkins,
2014). Additionally, most infections are preventable (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, 2019). An SSI is one of most common complications following a C-birth (Zuarez-Easton et al. 2017; Zejnullahu et al. 2019).

Serious patient consequences can result from SSIs, including pain, suffering and, on some occasions, they require additional surgical interventions (Sykes, Brodribb, McLaws, & McGregor, 2005). It is important to recognise that SSIs can range from a relatively trivial wound discharge with no other complications, to a life-threatening condition. Other clinical outcomes of SSIs include poor scars that are cosmetically unacceptable, persistent pain and itching, restriction of movement and a significant impact on emotional wellbeing.

This report includes data captured both during hospital stay and post-discharge within the community. The surveillance incorporates data collected by clinical teams and midwives and uses internationally agreed definitions (Horan, Gaynes, Martone, Jarvis, & Emori, 1992), allowing Welsh data to be compared with and incorporated into other international databases, such as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) European SSI database. This report details results obtained for surveillance data captured in 2025.