2 July 2025
Staff across NHS Wales have joined forces with the aim of reducing Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) infections and its human impact.
Health board and trust teams joined NHS Wales Performance and Improvement at an online co-design event to establish a new learning collaborative that will address rising rates of infection.
Part of the Safe Care Partnership, the C. diff Learning Collaborative will enable health board and trust teams across NHS Wales to identify and implement improvements that will reduce the prevalence and burden of C. diff.
The collaborative will provide improvement behaviour change support, underpinned by improvement science, for health board and trust teams, with space for collaboration and shared learning.
Examining both the common issues and unique challenges faced by health boards and trusts in relation to C. diff, the collaborative ultimately aims to identify and embed sustainable improvements that can be widely adopted at scale.
Speaking at the event, Rhiannon Jones, Deputy Director, Quality, Safety and Improvement for NHS Wales Performance and Improvement said:
“The real impact of C. diff is profound, spanning patients, families, staff, and the health system as a whole.
“It was positive to see the breadth and number of attendees at the co-design event, demonstrating commitment this improvement endeavour. Teams shared examples of improvements they are currently working on or have already implemented and insights on what more they would like to achieve. The benefit of convening a national learning collaborative for C. diff is having experts across Wales come together to share, learn and improve alongside each other. This will improve effectiveness and efficiencies and the impact of our work.
“Infections occur at the intersection of people, process, and place which makes our agenda inherently complex and constantly evolving. Our work is important because each infection can lead to harm that reshapes a patient’s life. Behind every case of infection is a person, a patient, a family - often experiencing fear and potentially loss. C. diff is not just a clinical incident, it’s a story of a life altered, trust tested, and harm that is sometimes preventable.”
NHS Wales Performance and Improvement will work with health boards and trusts to shape the focus and direction of the learning collaborative.
A series of initial qualitative interviews will begin to uncover the real-world barriers, opportunities, and stories that can drive meaningful improvement across healthcare settings. The results, combined with insights from the co-design event, will ensure the collaborative reflects frontline experience and reality.
Teams will also be submitting prospective improvement projects which will help to identify the challenges that matter most, highlighting where behavioural insights can bridge the gap between good intentions and lasting change.
The introduction of the new learning collaborative marks a significant milestone for the Safe Care Partnership, which supports NHS organisations in Wales to deliver national quality and safety priorities throughout their systems.
To find out more about the Safe Care Partnership, including information about its first phase and the current areas of focus, please visit the partnership's webpages.