Purpose
This annual statement will be generated each year and runs from 1st December to 30th November. It will summarise:
- Any infection transmission incidents and action taken (these will be reported in accordance with our significant event procedure)
- Details of infection control audits and any actions undertaken
- Details of infection control risk assessments undertaken
- Details of staff training
Any reviews and updates of policies, procedures and guidelines
Background
Responsibilities within the Practices:
- Infection Prevention and Control Lead: Annette Sullivan
- Infection Prevention Administrators: Stuart Harris & Nikki Doran
Any information received, learnt on Study Days and meetings held will be shared with the Practice at CPD meetings and all staff meetings.
Significant Events
Significant events (which may involve examples of good practice as well as challenging events) are investigated in detail to see what can be learnt and to indicate changes that might lead to future improvements.
No SEAs relating to IPC.
Learning or changes made:
N/A see below under actions taken
Audits
Minor Operations:
- Infection rates post joint injections carried out at the surgery are audited on an annual basis.
- Kingston Hill – 0 post operation or joint injection infections 2023-24
- Fairfield – 0 post operation or joint injection infection 2023-24
- University – 0 post operation or joint injection infection 2023-24
Clinical Audit
Broad spectrum antibiotic prescribing audit undertaken by Ellie Morton and is ongoing
Annual Audit
Undertaken December each year with the last one December 2023.
Actions undertaken 2023-24
- Boards in reception
- Clinell wipes on wall
- Hand sanitiser and soap attached to wall
- Posters updated in all rooms/bathrooms
- All posters laminated
- Cleaners’ cupboard painted and air vent put in
- Updated all policies
- Infection control is discussed every 4 weeks at meeting
- Updated all contact and telephone numbers for needle stick injuries
- Insured all infection control training all completed by staff
- New furniture and headsets ordered
- Bins replaces to swing bins
- New storeroom created
- Kitchen and upstairs bathroom repainted.
- All clinical stock checked and decluttered
- New cleaning schedule
- Floor in reception repaired
- Stairs repaired
- Vinell reattached to comply with infection control standards.
- New taps in upstairs bathroom
- New information labels on fridge
- New labels on fridge ‘Do not unplug’
COVID-19 testing guidance amended in line with recommendations for managing infection in a healthcare setting. The main risk to the practice remains all staff becoming infected at the same time, leading to a staffing crisis. Risk assessment carried out as below to ensure safe working practices for staff with respiratory illness.
Risk Assessments
Risk assessments are carried out so that best practice can be established and then followed. In the last year the following risk assessments were carried out / reviewed:
- Management of patient with or potentially having Covid-19 infection
- Management of staff working with covid-19 infection
- Management of clinical staff during pregnancy and dealing with Covid-19 infection in the community
All staff with any respiratory infections must staff off work if they feel unwell. Testing for COVID is no-longer mandatory, however, any staff who do test positive must staff off for 5 days as this is the likely infectious period. If staff feel well enough, they may work from home.
Staff Training
All staff members are required to undertake e-learning training for Infection Prevention and Control for Non-clinical and Clinical staff once a year. Infection Control discussed as part of induction.
GPs have undertaken specialist training in Minor surgery, infection prevention and control and joint injections.
Lead Administrator attended NHS England IPC refresher training on November 2024 to learn about updates in recent COVID-19 and IPC policy
Policies, Procedures and Guidelines
Policies relating to infection Prevention and Control are reviewed on an annual basis and as current advice changes.
We aim to share information with our patients and a copy of this annual statement will be available on our practice website. We will notify patients of any potential seasonal outbreaks via our patient information screen in the waiting room and on our website.