Decision

The Director of Public Health has approved the allocation of grant funding of £225,000 from the Public Health Grant to NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) to enable the funding of a Urinary Tract Infections Improvement Lead within the Wirral Bladder and Bowel Service via the ICB’s contract with the Wirral Community Health & Care NHS Foundation Trust for a three year period commencing on 29 June 2026.

Reasons for the decision

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) accounted for a significant number of avoidable hospital admissions across England during 2023/24, with a large proportion occurring among patients aged over 70.
In 2022–23, Wirral recorded one of the highest rates in England for both antibiotic prescribing for UTIs and UTI related hospital admissions in people aged 70 and over.
In response to this substantial burden, Wirral implemented a successful, award winning UTI improvement and hydration programme. Over several years, training and engagement across care homes, domiciliary care providers, unpaid carers, and primary care have been central to preventing UTIs. This collaborative approach has contributed to reductions in avoidable hospitalisations, lower antimicrobial prescribing, and improved health and wellbeing, particularly among older residents.
Despite this strong progress, a growing older population with increasingly complex needs, system changes across NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, and reliance on short term funding have created risks to sustaining these outcomes.
This funding will support the system to maintain momentum and ensure long term, sustainable reductions in the incidence, severity, and wider impact of UTIs across Wirral’s health and care system. The UTI improvement post directly aligns with the Wirral Plan theme of Promoting Independence and Healthier Lives, and Wirral Place vision by strengthening prevention, reducing avoidable harm, improving population health outcomes, and supporting antimicrobial stewardship.

Alternative options considered

Public Health could choose not to fund the UTI improvement post in Wirral, however doing so would risk increasing harm for vulnerable people, with higher rates of antibiotic resistance, and reduced health outcomes for Wirral residents.