News

While steps have been taken to reduce infection rates of hospital bugs such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile, other infection rates are still too high, the Nice said.

A spokeswoman said doctors and nurses must "redouble" hygiene efforts to bring the rates down.

It is unacceptable that infection rates are still so high within the NHS. Infections are a costly and avoidable burden. They hinder a patient's recovery, can make underlying conditions worse, and reduce quality of life.

Although there have been major improvements within the NHS in infection control, particularly in relation to Clostridium difficile and MRSA bloodstream infections in the last few years, healthcare associated infections are still a very real threat to patients, their families and carers and staff.

• Health
• NHS
• NICE

• Share
• Tweet
• Plus
• Reddit

One in 16 people receiving NHS care are picking up infections, health officials have warned.

The National Institute for Health Care Excellence (Nice) says he level of infections are "unacceptably high" and are a "very real threat" to patients.

Every year around 300,000 people get an infection while being cared for by the health service in England.The most common type of infections include pneumonia, lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections and surgical site infections.

These infections can occur in otherwise healthy people, especially if invasive procedures or devices like catheters or vascular access devices, are used, Nice said.

• Health
• NHS
• NICE

• Share
• Tweet
• Plus
• Reddit

ITV Weather Presenter Amanda Houston has the latest weather:

• UK
• weather
• Food banks

• Share
• Tweet
• Plus
• Reddit

Ukraine's foreign minister Andriy Deshchytsia has said the withdrawal of Russian troops from the country's eastern borders and Crimea will be the delegation's main demand at the upcoming Geneva conference.

The crisis talks between Russia, Ukraine, the European Union and the US are set to begin tomorrow.

"Our position at these consultations is first of all to demand the end of support by Russia of the terrorist groups which are active in the eastern regions of Ukraine," Mr Deshchytsia said at a press conference.

"Besides we will demand from the Russian Federation to condemn such terrorist actions and to withdraw troops which are amassing by the eastern borders of Ukraine".

• World
• Geneva
• Ukraine

• Share
• Tweet
• Plus
• Reddit

Nicky Jacobs, who has always maintained that he was not involved in the killing of PC Blakelock, repeated his innocence on BBC's Newsnight, which airs tonight on BBC Two at 10.30pm.

Mr Jacobs, 45, was jailed in 1986 for throwing petrol bombs at police during the 1985 Broadwater Farm riots.

He was later implicated in murder of PC Blakelock, who was stabbed 43 times as he tried to protect firefighters tackling blazes during the riots.

Mr Jacobs told the programme that rap lyrics relating to the murder that were found in his cell in 1988 were not a confession.

I didn't kill PC Blakelock - I wasn't in that group that heard about firemen at the shop or whatever.

It is just fate on my behalf that turned out to be good. I wrote this rap poem and they're trying to say it is a confession - all that it is, is what was played out in the press - they talk about this baying mob attacking him and all this and trying to chop off his head. All that I just got from the press.

That's why you just see 'we, we' and that are referring to Tottenham. My only thing was saying 'I had one intention and I wiped off my knife'.

Three witnesses told the Old Bailey that they saw Jacobs take part in the attack, but his defence team questioned their credibility.

After deliberating for four hours, the jury returned a not guilty verdict.

• UK

• Share
• Tweet
• Plus
• Reddit