Everyone’s responsibility
All staff have a responsibility to support a culture of promoting best practice by adhering to IPC standards as required within their job role and ensuring review included as part of their annual appraisal process.
We also advise patients and visitors on how to play their part when it comes to preventing infection.
All employees will be personally accountable for their action and are responsible for ensuring compliance with trust IPC policies.
Employees must understand their legal duty to take reasonable care of their health, safety and security and that of other persons who may be affected by their actions and for reporting untoward incidents and areas of concern.
Healthcare workers are responsible for identifying infectious conditions and circumstances that may lead to outbreaks of infection that require specific controls to protect themselves, their patients or others.
They are responsible for notifying the IPC Team of such circumstances and it is the responsibility of healthcare workers to ensure that they utilise safe working practices as outlined in IPC policies.
Any breach in IPC Policies or Practice will place staff, patients and visitors at risk and subsequently the completion of a Datix submission will be required.
Participation in Core Skills IPC education and training programmes as outlined in the trust’s Mandatory Training Policy.
Staff will challenge any poor practice within IPC and/or highlight this to senior members of their team or members of the IPC team where necessary
Staff will also participate in key meetings around preventing infection as required.
Personal Proptective Equipment (PPE) will be used as deemed appropriate and hand hygiene guidance will be followed at all times.
An isolation policy will be put into practice when this is appropriate and a sharps policy to protect people from used needles is also in place.
Waste disposal and recycling policies will also support the prevention of infection, as well as numerous policies on managing specific conditions and the handling of specimens.