The Infection Prevention Society (IPS), in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has launched a revised Infection Prevention and Control Commissioning Toolkit.
The development and use of the toolkit is supported by NHS England and provides a series of indicators that can be used by Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and regulators to focus on preventing healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) in healthcare settings. Developed by members of the IPS Commissioning Group and RCN, the toolkit highlights the importance of preventing and controlling healthcare infection in general and specifically pneumonia, urinary tract infections and sepsis.
Prof. Heather Loveday, president of the IPS, said: “The prevention of infection is a key strategic aim in the UK Antimicrobial Resistance Strategy and vital to the preservation of antibiotic treatment for life threatening infections. This toolkit is designed as a resource for CCGs and regulators to ensure that infection prevention and its impact on patient safety is included in the commissioning of health services for people in England.”
Sarah Turner, joint coordinator of the IPS Commissioning Group and a Senior Health Protection Nurse, said: “The NHS regional teams will be looking at commissioning organisations and asking them to utilise this document when benchmarking or gaining assurance for HCAI.”
Rose Gallagher, professional lead for infection prevention and control at the RCN, said: “Greater attention to preventing infection will go a long way in saving lives and reducing the risks of antimicrobial resistance developing further. We are calling for NHS England and the Government to focus on two of the most common infections experienced by the general public in order to have the maximum impact.
“Infections are not confined to hospitals, and can be caused by a variety of bacteria, affecting people of all ages and placing a considerable burden on all health and social care services... This toolkit is the first step towards reducing two serious burdens of infection in England, combatting antibiotic resistance and, most importantly, improving public health and patient care.”
The toolkit is available on the IPS website: www.ips.uk.net/index
