NEW CONSULTANT MICOBIOLOGIST JOINS TRUST

Dr Karadag came from St Bartholomew's Hospital in London where he underwent training in microbiology.

He said, "I completed my medical training at Istanbul University where there is a more American-style of training and you complete an internship where I specialised in paediatrics."

Dr Karadag took on locum posts in such areas as Bath and London and his first substantive consultancy post at the Conquest will see a major focus on the wards '“ providing clinical advice to staff and liaising closely with the infection control team.

Together, the team will work towards the national Saving Lives initiative.

The Department of Health initiative has set out a programme to reduce healthcare acquired infections including MRSA.

The programme includes nine challenges where the Trust has to assess its own performance '“ including training and education for staff and the implementation of Trust wide policies for infection control.

Audits are being implemented thorough the organisation to raise standards consistently in a number of High Impact Interventions that put patients most at risk of infection (for example urinary catheter care, hand hygiene and intravenous infusion).

The infection control link nurses will use the audit tools (known as care bundles) in clinical areas to observe practice and pick up anything that could be improved on, giving immediate feedback to staff.