HASCAS - The Health and Social Care Advisory Service

Infection Control

The Healthcare Commission’s recently published investigation into outbreaks of Clostridium difficile at Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. Media coverage has brought Infection Control into the spotlight again.

The Healthcare Commission report made a number of detailed recommendations, many of which focus on clinical governance and the management of risk. Additionally, data, from the Healthcare Commission's website demonstrates that of the four key standards linked to Infection Control, 20% of the NHS organisations were unable to declare compliance with all four of these minimum standards. (C4a, C4e, C21 and C24).

The Health and Social Care Advisory Service (HASCAS), is a registered independent charity. We have extensive knowledge of the national perspective and offer evidenced based service development to organisations. We can help raise issues that may otherwise be overlooked because of competing priorities. We work with a large range of experienced associates who are recruited from Health and Social Care.

In the context of infection control, we can help organisations review, improve and implement their policies. This could include:

Examining how the Trust Board gives priority to the control of infection.
Examining the factors such as the environment, cleaning, the movement of patients and levels of bed occupancy that may affect the ability of staff to control infection.
Reviewing the Trust’s information processes that monitor infections acquired within the hospital environment.
Reviewing policies to ensure there is effective isolation for those patients who pose a potential or high risk of infection to others.
Checking that standards of hygiene are acceptable and in particular, that procedures to clean and decontaminate equipment are understood and correctly followed.
Reviewing processes to ensure that the Trust safely manages the storage and correct disposal of potentially infectious material.

Infection Control briefing paper