Infection Control Annual Statement

• Warders Medical Centre
• 10th April 2023

Purpose

This annual statement will be generated each year in May, in accordance with the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. The report will be published on the organisation’s website and will include the following summary:

• Any infection transmission incidents and any action taken (these will have been reported in accordance with our significant event procedure)
• Details of any infection control audits carried out and actions undertaken
• Details of any risk assessments undertaken for the prevention and control of infection
• Details of staff training
• Any review and update of policies, procedures and guidelines

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) lead

• The lead for infection prevention and control at Warders Medical Centre is Sallie Stevens, HCA.
• The IPC lead is supported by Emma Allwright, Practice Manager.

Infection transmission incidents (significant events)

Significant events involve examples of good practice as well as challenging events.

Positive events are discussed at meetings to allow all staff to be appraised in areas of best practice.

Negative events are managed by the staff member who either identified or was advised of any potential shortcoming. This person will complete a Significant Event Analysis (SEA) form which commences an investigation process to establish what can be learnt and to indicate changes that might lead to future improvements.

All significant events are reviewed and discussed at several meetings each month. Any learning points are cascaded to all relevant staff where an action plan, including audits or policy review, may follow.

In the past year, there have been no significant events raised which related to infection control. There have also been no complaints made regarding cleanliness or infection control.

Infection prevention audit and actions

Internal Audits

• All rooms are checked daily and restocked weekly. Any items found to be damaged/needing attention are removed for repair or replaced. Any items found to be near expiry date are removed. This is ongoing. Formal full written room audits are done every 6 months.
• PPE –daily checked.
• Equipment and signage have been changed and are constantly updated in line with NHS recommended use.
• Sharps – daily checked and partially closed when not in use.
• Furniture-all material chairs removed and replaced with those made of materials impervious to moisture.
• Hand sanitiser for patient use-now independent units.
• Safe running of flu clinics during COVID 19 pandemic- External door put into clinical room to enable flow of people. All booked appointments and vaccinations given in rooms with doors open to the outside. Therefore patient can enter by one door and leave by another. No waiting room area to limit patient to patient contact.
• Curtains-audit done every 6 months and curtains replaced.
• Signage-audits done monthly and any that need it are replaced

Risk assessments

Risk assessments are carried out so that any risk is minimised and made to be as low as is reasonably practicable. Additionally, a risk assessment that can identify best practice can be established and then followed.

In the last year, the following risk assessments were carried out/reviewed:

• General IPC risks
• Staffing, new joiners and ongoing training
• COSHH
• Cleaning standards
• Curtain cleaning or changes
• Staff vaccinations
• Sharps
• Water safety
• Wheelchair

Training

In addition to staff being involved in risk assessments and significant events, at Warders Medical Centre all staff and contractors receive IPC induction training on commencing their post. Thereafter, all staff receive refresher training annually.

Various elements of IPC training in the previous year have been delivered via Invicta Training and external contractors.

Policies and procedures

The infection prevention and control-related policies and procedures that have been written, updated or reviewed in the last year include, but are not limited, to:

• Sharps bins
• Cleaning Procedures
• PPE use
• Procedures for samples

Policies relating to infection prevention and control are available to all staff and are reviewed and updated annually. Additionally, all policies are amended on an ongoing basis as per current advice, guidance and legislation changes.

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of all staff members at Warders Medical Centre to be familiar with this statement and their roles and responsibilities under it.

Review

The IPC lead and Practice Manager are responsible for reviewing and producing the annual statement.