Infection prevention and control (IPC) is crucial for everyone working in healthcare to ensure patient safety. By following effective IPC practices, healthcare teams can prevent the spread of germs, safeguarding both patients and staff. These practices include proper hand hygiene, maintaining clean environments, and using protective equipment when necessary.
Good infection control involves consistently taking thoughtful steps to protect people’s health. Awareness campaigns and educational efforts play a vital role in teaching healthcare workers the best methods to prevent infections, ensuring that patients receive the safest and highest-quality care.
Simone Harvey, the community lead for IPC, recently took the initiative to visit various teams in the community, asking them, “What does IPC mean to you?” The responses highlighted common themes, with safety emerging as a top priority. Staff shared insights such as:
- “Protecting our patients from harm.”
- “Minimising the risks to both staff and patients of spreading infections. Safe care.”
- “Using universal precautions to prevent the spread of bacteria. Ensuring our own safety regarding infection and illness. Adhering to policies and assessing risk appropriately.”
- “Safer care for patients. Health prevention for patients.”
- “Ensuring that patients remain safe and free from preventable risks.”
- “Important to keep myself and my patients safe from infection.”
- “Stops patients from developing serious infections and avoids unnecessary admissions.”
The care and commitment to patient well-being came through strongly, with staff saying things like:
- “Caring for others as well as ourselves.”
- “Knowing how to do infection prevention properly helps me take better care of my patients and keeps everyone safe.”
A major focus for staff was hand hygiene, emphasised with statements such as:
- “Keeping everyone safe by upholding good hand hygiene and other IPC measures.”
- “Keep hands clean to stay healthy.”
- “Hand washing is crucial in preventing the spread of bacteria and infectious diseases between patients and even within the staff team.”
- “Wash hands correctly to stop spreading germs to others.”
It is essential to remember that IPC should be a high priority every day for everyone to ensure the safety of both patients and staff.
IPC is everyone’s responsibility, but the Infection Prevention and Control team is always available for support and guidance. As one staff member put it so aptly:
“Infection prevention is the only way to keep each other safe. The Infection Prevention team are a wonderful support.”