How we do it

Hand hygiene

Rubbing your hands with hand sanitiser is the preferred choice for hand hygiene where hands are not visibly dirty. You will observe staff carrying hand rub to enable them to perform hand hygiene at the right time.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Training is provided to ensure gloves, aprons, gowns, goggles, or masks are used appropriately and competently.

Isolation procedures

Patients with suspected or confirmed infections may be isolated in designated areas to minimise the risk of spread to others.

Environmental cleaning

Decontamination of all surfaces, equipment, and high-touch areas is carried out to maintain a clean environment in accordance with National Standards of Cleanliness.

Education and training

Mandatory training and education programs are provided to all staff. This is to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and competence to minimise the risk of infection:

• All staff are required to complete their mandatory IPC training
• All third-party organisations working for the Trust must adhere to the Trust’s infection prevention and control policy and procedures
• All IPC information, including policies and procedures, is available on the Trust IPC intranet page

Vaccination

We encourage and facilitate eligible staff and patients to be vaccinated to protect against vaccine-preventable illnesses such as flu.

Surveillance

We conduct local surveillance and uses the data to monitor rates of healthcare associated infections, in order to evaluate and manage infection risks effectively.