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Annual Infection Control Statement
Purpose
This annual statement is produced in accordance with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance) and provides a summary of:
- Any known infection transmission incidents and actions taken.
- Audits undertaken and subsequent actions.
- Risk assessments and policies reviewed.
- Staff training.
- Plans for the coming year.
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead
- Clinical Lead: Catherine Greenham
- Non-clinical IPC Support: Gerry O’Leary- Practice Manager
The IPC Lead is responsible for ensuring that infection prevention and control standards are maintained throughout the practice.
Significant Events and Infection Transmission Incidents
- No significant infection control incidents have been reported in the past year.
Infection Control Audits
Regular audits have been carried out, including:
- Hand hygiene audits
- Sharps management
- Cleaning standards
- Waste disposal
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) usage
- Cold chain procedures
Summary of findings and actions:
- Overfilling of sharps bins following flu clinic
- Additional sharps bins made available and easily accessible
- Clinical waste cupboard found to be untidy
- Unwanted items and rubbish removed.
Staff Training
- All staff have received infection control training appropriate to their roles.
- Clinical staff have had updates on relevant topics such as sepsis, antimicrobial stewardship, and PPE use.
- Non-clinical staff have been trained in cleaning procedures, hand hygiene, and safe waste handling.
Risk Assessments
Risk assessments have been reviewed/updated for:
- Legionella (water safety)
- Waste management
- Sharps injuries
- COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health)
- Covid-19 (where applicable)
Policies and Procedures
The following policies have been reviewed and updated:
- Aseptic technique
- Blood-borne viruses
- Clostridioides difficile
- CJD
- Hand hygiene
- Invasive devices
- MDROs
- MRSA
- Patient placement
- MRSA
- Notifiable diseases
- Outbreaks of communicable disease
- PPE
- PVL-SA
- Respiratory and cough hygiene
- Safe disposal of waste
- Scabies
- Safe management of care equipment
- Safe management of blood and body fluids
- Safe management of sharps
- Safe management of the care environment
- SICPs and TBPs
- Specimen collection
- Venepuncture
- Viral gastroenteritis-Norovirus
- Needle stick / sharps injury
- Infection prevention and control
All policies are available to staff via Teamnet (back up copies on 'S' drive')
Future Plans
- Conduct patient leaflet campaign on hand hygiene and antibiotic use.