Introduction
This document sets out the surgery policy on infection control and should be used with reference to the principles outlined in the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) for England.
Policy Statement
This practice is committed to infection control within the building and in relation to the clinical procedures carried out within it.
The practice will maintain the premises, equipment, drugs, and procedures to the standards detailed in the NIPCM and provide facilities and financial resources to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to reduce or remove all infection risks. The surgery undertakes an IPC annual audit to ensure IPC compliance and to meet the IPC compliance requirement by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Wherever possible or practicable, the practice will use washable or disposable materials for items such as soft furnishings and consumables. These include seating materials, wall coverings (including paint), bedding, couch rolls, modesty sheets, bed curtains, floor coverings, towels etc., and ensure that these are laundered, cleaned or changed frequently to minimise the risk of infection. This approach is aligned with the national standards of healthcare cleanliness.
Proposals for the Management of Infection Risk
The clinical infection control leads are Sharon Sandham and Sara Whittaker. The non-clinical staff member responsible for infection control is Debbie Short.
Sharon and Sara are responsible for the maintenance of personal protective equipment and the provision of personal cleaning supplies within clinical areas. They maintain all sterile equipment and supplies and ensure that all items remain “in date.” Debbie is responsible for the maintenance of the provision of personal cleaning supplies within non-clinical areas.
The following general precautions will apply:
- Mandatory infection control training will take place for all staff annually, including hand hygiene, donning and doffing PPE and decontamination procedures.
- Regular infection control training will take place for all staff.
- Hand hygiene posters will be displayed at each designated hand basin (see How to Hand Wash Step-by-Step).
- A random and unannounced Inspection Control Inspection (IPC audit) by the staff named above, using the approved audit tools/checklists, will take place on at least a bi-monthly basis, and the findings will be reported to the partners’ meeting for (any) remedial action.