Clostridioides difficile (or Cdiff) is a bacterium (bug) that can cause diarrhoea and other serious gut diseases, usually affecting people who have recently taken antibiotics. Hospital infection prevention measures, such as hand washing and cleaning, aim to prevent patients from catching bugs like Cdiff. Changes in antibiotic prescribing practices are also trying to prevent patients from catching Cdiff. Changes in antibiotic prescribing also aim to prevent cleavage patients from holding Cdiff. Changes in antibiotic prescribing also aim to prevent patients from getting Cdiff sickness.
The Welsh Government requires all health boards in Wales to monitor Cdiff, through surveillance methods. The HARP programme carries out this surveillance work on behalf of the Welsh Government and the NHS in Wales. Laboratories from Anglesey to Monmouth are presenting test results on patient samples. The HARP program is able to access the test results, and analyze them and then use them to generate data dashboards of Cdiff trends.
The HARP programme works with Welsh health boards to reduce the risk of patients developing Cdiff in hospitals and other healthcare settings.