Infection control statement

2021-2022

We aim to keep our practice clean and tidy and offer a safe environment to our patients and staff.  The College Practice was the first GP Practice to be accredited for Training in the UK and that learning ethos remains strong in everything we do. We are proud of our surgery premises and our heritage and endeavour to ensure all surgery locations are kept clean and well maintained.

If you have any concerns about cleanliness or infection control, please report these to our Patient Care Navigators.

Our GPs and Nursing staff follow our Infection Control Policy to ensure the care we deliver and the equipment we use is safe.

We take additional measures to ensure we maintain the highest standards:

• Encourage staff and patients to raise any issues or report any incidents relating to cleanliness and infection control.  We can discuss these and identify improvements we can make to avoid any future problems
• Carry out an annual infection control audit to make sure our infection control procedures are working
• Provide annual staff updates and training on cleanliness and infection control
• Review our policies and procedures to make sure they are adequate and meet national guidance
• Maintain the premises and equipment to a high standard within the available financial resources and ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to reduce or remove all infection risk
• Use washable or disposable materials for items such as couch rolls, modesty curtains, floor coverings, towels etc. and ensure that these are laundered, cleaned or changed frequently to minimise risk of infection
• Make Alcohol Hand Rub Gel available throughout the building
• Provide Face Masks and Face Shields to patients who attend the Practice without a face covering to minimise risk of infection and keep people safe
• Installed screens at Care Navigation points to maintain good Infection Prevention and Control and minimise risk of exposure

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead

The College Practice Lead for Infection Prevention and Control: Emily Rouse (IPC Lead). Emily undertakes regular training and keeps up to date on current infection prevention practice.

Significant events

Significant events (which may involve examples of good practice as well as challenging events) are fully investigated and learnings are used to underpin actions and changes as part of our continuous improvement ethos.  

Maintaining robust infection prevention and control throughout the COVID pandemic has been a high priority and with appropriate controls there have been no significant events raised that related to infection control.

Training 

Infection Control Education Meetings, including Hand Washing training, led by the Nurse Manager and IPC Nurse to update the current staff team and educate new members of the clinical and admin team. We plan to continue this in 2022, with handwashing training and Infection control as part of new staff Induction programme.

Audits

An annual Infection Control Audit is undertaken in the Practice.  This is based on the Department of Health’s Audit Tool (2005).  The results from this year’s audit showed compliance in all areas. Other examples include PPE provisions: with the increased need of PPE with COVID-19 pandemic the College Practice secured access to the NHS PPE supplies to ensure that all staff are provided with sufficient resources to respond to the changing needs of the Pandemic and minimise risk of exposure to COVID-19.  The Practice has undertaken pandemic health risk assessment across the staff team in order to minimise risk of harm and keep staff safe. 

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 have been carried out/reviewed.

• Legionella (Water) Risk Assessments: The practice reviews its water safety risk assessment to ensure that the water supply does not pose a risk to patients, visitors, or staff.
• Immunistion: As a practice we ensure that all our staff are up to date with their Hepatitis B immunisations and offered any occupational health vaccinations applicable to their role (i.e. MMR, Seasonal Flu). We take part in the National Immunisation campaigns for patients and offer vaccinations in house and via home visits to our patient population. Our staff team are compliant with COVID-19 vaccination.

Cleaning specifications

The cleaning staff work to structured cleaning schedules and the daily cleaning of the College Practice, Balming Surgery and Allington Surgery and are contracted to a company who follow national NHS guidance.  The public areas are cleaned at lunchtimes as well as every evening and we schedule a Deep Clean at each location periodically to ensure a good standard is maintained across the Practice group. 

Infection control policy

The Infection Control Policy is reviewed and updated annually if appropriate and is kept up to date in line with best practice, the latest public health advice, NHSE national guidance and government legislation.