Infection Prevention and Control (IP&C)

How can you help?

• All visitors please wash your hands or use hand sanitiser on entering and leaving the hospital, ward, department, or clinic.
• Any visitor who feels unwell with illnesses like flu, heavy cold, diarrhoea or vomiting please do not visit the hospital, ward, department, or clinic. If you have an appointment ring and ask to reschedule.
• All visitors should use chairs provided and not sit on patients’ beds.
• All visitors should check with the nurse in charge before entering a single room where there is signage stating precautions required.
• All visitors should not bring food or have food delivered into the hospital.

About our Service

We have a statutory responsibility to be compliant with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Department of Health, 2010) and produce an annual report that details the IP&C activity over the last year. This includes an assessment of performance against national targets for the year and summarising our key achievements.

We aim: –

• To provide a clean safe environment for patients, visitors, and staff.
• To ensure staff are competent in IP&C practice.
• To reduce the risk of resistance to antibiotics by ensuring robust antibiotic stewardship.

Our Expertise

Our IP&C Nurses and Practitioners work across all wards and departments within the hospital as well as with your local GP Surgeries and clinics providing advice and support with IP&C practice.

Healthcare Associated Infections

Healthcare associated infections (HCAI) can occur as a direct result of healthcare intervention or from being in contact with a healthcare setting. 

The HCAI term represents a wide variety of infections. Some of the most common infections are:

• Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
• Clostridium difficile
• Gram negative infections such as E coli.