Welcome to SURF, England's Healthcare-Associated Infection (HCAI) Service Users Research Forum (SURF)

In recent years HCAI and antimicrobial resistance have become a focus of concern for healthcare providers, professionals, policy makers, patients and the public alike.

Working against a backdrop of intense media interest researchers in the field of infection are increasingly recognising the need to include lay perspectives if they are to improve the quality and scope of their research; and address the concerns and issues important to patients and the public.

However, unlike many other fields of healthcare, where service user involvement is well established, researchers in the field of infection have little or no experience of involving the public in the research process. For this reason, the Department of Health (England) have funded the establishment of HCAI SURF to encourage greater patient and public involvement in infection research.

SURF's goal is to provide a forum in which researchers and members of the public can work together to improve current research and identify the most important areas for future research.