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The National Public Health Emergency Team on Carbapenemase-producing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) published their first situational analysis report today, 21 December 2017. The group also held their eighth meeting today.

The situational analysis report provides an overview of the information gathered via the National Public Health Emergency Team process to date. It includes background information, the key outputs achieved, gaps identified and resulting next steps. It also presents available national data on the levels of CPE screening taking place and the number of newly patients detected with CPE, an overview of governance arrangements at national and regional level and existing policies and procedures.

Figures from the National CPE Reference Laboratory are included in the report. There were 401 newly detected patients with CPE in the period from January to November 2017, this compares with 282 in 2016. This represents a 42% increase in the number of new patients detected. At this stage, it is not known if this increase is due to enhanced screening or an actual increase in the number of people with CPE. The most recent CPE screening data from the HSE’s Business Intelligence Unit is also included. It shows a total of 9,821 reported CPE screenings in October 2017 with differences across hospital groups suggesting variation in the implementation of the CPE screening requirements policy.

The main gaps identified to date relate to requirements for reporting of CPE colonisation, implementation of national requirements in particular for screening in acute hospitals and the timeliness of surveillance data. The report includes next steps to address the gaps.

The Chief Medical Officer and Chair of the Group, Dr Tony Holohan recognised that

“the HSE have reviewed and strengthened their governance and implementation oversight arrangements since the National Public Health Emergency Team was convened” and added that “assuring that the required next steps are progressed will be a priority focus for the group in 2018”.

Expected outputs for 2018 include prompt progress towards effective screening for CPE across all hospital groups to make sure that the risk to patients is reduced, progress reports from the HSE’s Implementation Team, monthly CPE surveillance reports from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, a report from the Expert Group on their review of the screening requirements and outbreak management plan and seeking assurance that the response plan is aligned to Ireland’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance 2017-2020.

The minutes of all previous meetings and related documents are published on a dedicated page on the Department of Health website.