The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has identified five NHS trusts with statistically high levels of surgical site infections (SSIs), a common type of healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) that is largely preventable. This finding, based on national surveillance data from April 2024 to March 2025, spotlights persistent variation in patient safety. The trusts were flagged as "high outliers" in mandatory orthopaedic categories, including hip replacements, with their infection rates significantly surpassing national benchmarks. The surveillance reported over 1,250 infections across various surgical procedures, confirming a continuous risk within the health system.
SSIs pose significant clinical and economic burdens. Patients face longer hospital stays, additional surgeries, prolonged antibiotic use, and a reduced quality of life. Economically, these infections place considerable cost pressures on the NHS and exacerbate surgical waiting list backlogs. Experts stress that SSIs are largely preventable through strict adherence to clinical protocols, such as meticulous pre-operative skin preparation, timely antibiotics, surgical technique, and post-operative wound surveillance. However, some clinicians suggest the high rates also reflect wider operational pressures, including workforce shortages and high bed occupancy, which strain the capacity of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) teams.
The identification is part of the UKHSA’s Surgical Site Infection Surveillance Service (SSISS), which benchmarks national performance data. Despite this long-standing surveillance, the 2024–25 report noted only modest overall improvements, with non-hip orthopaedic operations showing persistent risk. The presence of high-outliers has triggered internal reviews within the trusts, urging clinical teams to strengthen ward-level practices.
Moving forward, UKHSA and NHS partners plan to release more detailed performance data and targeted guidance to help the outlier trusts reduce their infection rates. Public health leaders emphasize that reducing SSIs is critical for patient safety and contributes to national antimicrobial resistance goals by reducing the need for broad-spectrum antibiotics, underscoring the importance of sustained, data-driven action in NHS surgical care.
