Antimicrobial Stewardship course honoured at Antibiotic Guardian Awards

Entitled ‘Antimicrobial Stewardship in Wound Management’, the course is led by the University’s Professor of Skin Integrity Karen Ousey and was highly commended at the 2020 Antibiotic Guardian Awards

A COURSE delivered by the University of Huddersfield that teaches healthcare professionals involved in wound management and infection prevention about antimicrobial resistance has been honoured for its achievements in helping to tackle one of the biggest threats facing modern day medicine. 

Entitled ‘Antimicrobial Stewardship in Wound Management’, the course was highly commended at this year’s Antibiotic Guardian Awards under the category of ‘Multi-Country Collaboration’. The awards champion organisations who have demonstrated achievement in tackling antimicrobial resistance at a regional, national or global level.

“Understanding antimicrobial stewardship in wound care is key if we are to continue being able to treat a range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi. It is essential that we recognise, understand and implement antimicrobial stewardship into daily clinical practice if we are to avoid the crisis of antimicrobial resistance.”

Professor Karen Ousey, Director of the ISIaIP

The e-learning course is delivered in collaboration with the European Wound Management Association (EWMA) and the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) and is led by the University’s Professor Karen Ousey, Director of the Institute of Skin Integrity and Infection Prevention (ISIaIP). 

The ISIaIP is an award-winning skin research institute that consists of a multidisciplinary research team and places the University at the forefront of research and teaching in the management of acute and chronic non-healing wounds. 

To date over 8000 healthcare professionals have completed the antimicrobial stewardship course with 99% saying the course met or exceeded their expectations and 98% have said they gained new knowledge or skills from the programme.

Professor Ousey was recently appointed as European Director of the International Skin Tear Advisory Panel (ISTAP) in recognition of her global wound care research and is delighted that the course and collaboration between the three organisations has been recognised by these prestigious awards. 

“Understanding antimicrobial stewardship in wound care is key if we are to continue being able to treat a range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi,” said Professor Ousey. 

“It is essential that we recognise, understand and implement antimicrobial stewardship into daily clinical practice if we are to avoid the crisis of antimicrobial resistance,” she added. 

As well as learning from the expertise of Professor Ousey, the teaching team also comprises of the UK’s Professor Rose Cooper, Professor Finn Gottrup from the Copenhagen Wound Healing Centre in Denmark and Belgium’s Professor Dimitri Beeckman from Ghent University and Steven Smet of Ghent University Hospital. 

The course is sponsored by the companies below and delivered under the Antimicrobial Stewardship Programme.

Antibiotic Guardian 

Dr Diane Ashiru-Oredope, lead of the Antibiotic Guardian campaign, personally congratulated this year’s nominees and winners for their contributions. 

“The Antibiotic Guardian awards, now in their fifth year, continue to provide us with an excellent opportunity for us to champion organisations and individuals who have demonstrated achievement in their work to tackle antimicrobial resistance, one of biggest global public health threats we face,” said Dr Ashiru-Oredope. 

“These awards have highlighted the wealth of fantastic work taking place across the country and abroad. This year, we were delighted to receive 30 entries from colleagues outside the UK, highlighting the important global collaborations. At Public Health England we will continue to support and work with partners across the health system to tackle antimicrobial resistance,” she added.