The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has set out the reporting schedule for mandatory infection surveillance, providing an update on how hospitals across England are managing common healthcare-associated infections.
The data, which tracks cases of MRSA, MSSA, Gram-negative bacteraemia and Clostridioides difficile (C. diff), covers the performance of all NHS providers. This includes University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, which operates St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester and Worthing Hospital, the primary acute facilities serving residents in Bognor Regis.
National figures released on 9 September 2026 indicate a shift in several key infection trends. After a period of relative stability in 2025, case counts for E. coli and Klebsiella species bacteraemia have returned to an upward trend across England this year.
Conversely, there has been a sustained decrease in C. diff rolling case counts throughout 2026. This reversal follows a steady increase in infections that began in 2021. According to the UKHSA data dashboard, there were 1,619 recorded cases of C. diff nationally during July 2026.
For other types of infection, the data shows a more static picture. MSSA bacteraemia case counts in England reached a plateau in early 2026, showing little significant movement in recent months.
The mandatory reporting system is designed to monitor patient safety and allow trusts to benchmark their performance against national averages. For University Hospitals Sussex, these statistics arrive as the trust continues to work under a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), following an assessment updated on 29 July 2026.
While the UKHSA has announced the schedule for the full quarterly epidemiological commentary, which will eventually include detailed trust-level data up to September 2026, the current national trends provide the framework for local hospital management.
The surveillance programme focuses on Gram-negative bacteraemia because these infections can lead to serious complications, including sepsis. The return to an upward trend for E. coli and Klebsiella nationally remains a point of focus for infection control teams across the NHS.
Specific trust-by-trust breakdowns for the July to September period are expected to be published following the completion of the current reporting cycle.