ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at Clostridium difficile bacteria in an English region in some detail, drawing on one set of principles on how to achieve change. Many management theories sound like ‘common sense’, but using such a framework can ensure that the right steps are systematically worked through to achieve the change that is sought. Managers and clinicians were trying, thus far unsuccessfully, to prevent further cases. They were attracting media interest, with national newspapers wanting to report on numbers of deaths, and sending reporters to the hospital. In addition to supporting the individual hospital in taking the actions needed to resolve their ‘outbreak’, more detail was sought about whether other hospitals in the region were affected. A regional Healthcare Associated Infection Taskforce was established, drawn from clinicians and managers from a variety of hospitals within the region.
