Prevention and Control of Infections - Standard Precautions Policy

Prevention & Control of Infections - Standard Precautions – 18.12
SECTION:
18 - INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL
POLICY /PROCEDURE: 18.12
NATURE AND SCOPE:
SUBJECT:
POLICY - TRUST WIDE
PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF INFECTIONS - STANDARD
PRECAUTIONS
The aim of this document is to protect both the Trust patients and staff by setting out the
Standard Precautions which are to be adhered to at all times when caring for patients.
DATE OF LATEST RATIFICATION: FEBRUARY 2011
RATIFIED BY:
TRUST INFECTION CONTROL COMMITTEE
IMPLEMENTATION DATE: FEBRUARY 2011
REVIEW DATE: FEBRUARY 2014
ASSOCIATED TRUST POLICIES
AND PROCEDURES Health, Safety & Welfare – 16.01
Waste Management - 16.08
Decontamination - 18.01 & 18.01A
Hand Hygiene 18.04
Infection Prevention and Control – 18.05
Isolation – 18.10
Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne Viruses -18.06
Sharps Management – 18.11
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Prevention & Control of Infections - Standard Precautions – 18.12
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST
PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF INFECTIONS
STANDARD PRECAUTIONS
CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Policy Principles
3.0 Definitions
4.0 Duties
5.0 Standard Precautions
6.0 Hand Hygiene
7.0 Personal Protective Equipment
7.2 Gloves
7.3 Disposable Plastic Aprons
7.4 Face Masks/Eye Protection
8.0 Sharps Management
8.9 Inoculation injury
9.0 Blood and Body Fluid Spillages
10.0 Waste Management
10.2 Clinical Waste
11.0 Laundry
11.2 Definitions
11.3 Use of suitable bags
11.4 Patients Personal Clothing
12.0 Decontamination of equipment
13.0 Environment
14.0 Implementation
15.0 Training
16.0 Target Audience
17.0 Review Date
18.0 Consultation
19.0 Relevant Trust Policies
20.0 Monitoring compliance
21.0 Equality Impact Assessment
22.0 Legislation compliance
23.0 Champion and Expert Writer
24.0 References /Source Documents
Appendix 1 Five Moments for Hand Hygiene
Appendix 2 Record of Changes
Appendix 3 Record of Employee Having Read the Policy
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Prevention & Control of Infections - Standard Precautions – 18.12
1.0 INTRODUCTION
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE HEALTHCARE NHS TRUST
PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF INFECTIONS
STANDARD PRECAUTIONS
1.1 Standard precautions (formerly know as universal precautions) underpin routine safe
practice and is considered effective means of protecting healthcare practitioners from
infection. Standard precautions are based on a set of principles designed to minimize
exposure to and transmission of a wide variety of micro-organisms between patients and
staff and vice versa. As every patient is a potential infection risk, it is essential that standard
precautions are used for all patients at all times (Ayliffe 2009).
1.2 This requires the identification of high risk procedures rather than high risk individuals to
prevent exposure of health care workers (HCWs) to potentially pathogenic organisms
through sharps injuries and body fluid splashes. Patients are also protected from crossinfection.
In order to protect patients and staff all blood and body fluids from all patients
must be considered as infected and ensure measures are taken to minimise the risk of
exposure within everyday practices.
2.0 POLICY/PROCEDURE PRINCIPLES
2.1 The aim of this document is to protect both Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust patients
and staff by setting out the Standard Precautions which are to be adhered to at all times
when caring for patients.
2.2 This document is based on guidance produced by:
• The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Department of Health
• National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence CG2 2003
• Royal College of Nursing Infection Control minimum standards
• Universal precautions: A review of knowledge, compliance and strategies to improve.
Gammon and Gould Journal of Research in Nursing. 2005: 10: 529-547
3.0 DEFINITIONS
3.1 Standard precautions (previously known as universal precautions) are a set of activities
which must be used for all patients cared for within healthcare settings and are based upon
the risk presented by all contact with blood and other body fluids, irrespective of know
diagnosis or lifestyle factors of patients and staff.
4.0 DUTIES
4.1 It is the duty of the Director of Infection Prevention and Control (DIPC) to ensure healthcare
staff adheres to the principles of the policy.
4.2 It is the Ward mangers responsibility to ensure that healthcare staff receives training in the
use of standard precautions and that they follow the principles of this policy.
4.3 It is the responsibility of the Infection Prevention & Control team to audit the use of standard
precaution
5.0 STANDARD PRECAUTIONS
5.1 Standard precautions are:
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• Hand Hygiene
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Sharps Management
• Blood and Body Fluid Spillages
• Waste management
• Safe handling of laundry
• Decontamination of Equipment
• Maintenance of a Clean Environment
Prevention & Control of Infections - Standard Precautions – 18.12
5.2 These principles are underpinned by the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) which
requires all employers to ensure that staff are appropriately trained to enable them to work
safely.
5.3 Regulations under Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) (2002) reinforce
the importance of risk assessment where there is likelihood of contact with body
substances that may contain pathogenic micro organisms.
5.4 Body fluids are:
• Blood
• Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
• Peritoneal fluid
• Synovial fluid
• Amniotic fluid
• Semen
• Vaginal secretions
• Pleural fluid
• Breast milk
• Pericardial fluid
• All un-fixed tissue
• Organs and body parts
• Urine
• Faeces
• Vomit
• Saliva
6.0 HAND HYGIENE
6.1 Hand hygiene is the single most important step in reducing the spread of disease. Effective
hand hygiene will reduce the risk of transmission of micro-organisms from or via the hands
of staff. When working in a clinical setting staff must be bare below the elbows i.e. no long
sleeves, no wrist jewelry including watches and no stoned or heavily engraved to reduce
the risk of cross infection.
6.2 Hands must be decontaminated immediately before and after direct patient contact or care
and after any activity that could potentially result in hands becoming contaminated e.g:
• Prior to a span of duty
• Contact with susceptible sites of patients
• Handling, preparing or serving food/beverages/medications
• Direct patient contact
• Clean, aseptic or surgical procedures
6.3 Hand decontamination must also be carried out after:
• Using the toilet or assisting others with toilet activities
• Using a handkerchief or tissue
• Direct contact with patients
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• Carrying out clean, aseptic or surgical procedures
• Contact with blood or body fluids
• Handling used laundry, equipment or waste
• Removing PPE, especially gloves
Prevention & Control of Infections - Standard Precautions – 18.12
6.4 Refer to Hand Hygiene Policy and Procedure 18.04 and also the ‘5 Moments of Hand
Hygiene’ (Appendix 1).
6.5 Hands that are visibly soiled with contaminated dirt i.e. blood or body fluids must be
washed immediately with liquid soap and water.
6.6 The six-step technique for hand washing should be used and hands dried thoroughly using
disposable paper towels. To maintain good skin integrity a hand moisturizer should be used
at least twice daily. Hand moisturizer must be dispensed from a wall or pump dispenser if
used by more than one person. Individual moisturisers must not be shared as this is a
source of infection.
6.7 Any cuts or lesions must be covered with a waterproof dressing.
7.0 PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
7.1 The main purpose of PPE is to protect staff from the risk of exposure to blood and other
body fluids, and reduce the opportunities for transmission of micro-organisms from staff to
patient and vice versa. The decision to use or wear PPE must be based upon an
assessment of the level of risk associated with the specific procedure/patient care, activity
or intervention and take account of good practice standards and current health and safety
legislation.
7.2 Gloves
7.2.1 The hands of clinical staff are the most common means of organisms causing
healthcare associated infections. This risk can be minimized by thorough hand
washing and the correct use of gloves.
7.2.2 Gloves must be worn for invasive procedures, contact with sterile sites and nonintact
skin on mucus membranes and all activities that have been assessed as
carrying a risk of exposure to blood, body fluids, secretions and excretions or to
sharp or contaminated instruments.
7.2.3 Staff must ensure that the appropriate type of glove is selected for each particular
procedure and purpose. Gloves that are acceptable to healthcare personnel and
that conform to the European Community (CE) standard must be available in a
variety of sizes, must be powder and latex-free and fit for purpose.
7.2.4 Gloves must be worn as a single use item and must be put on before patient contact
and removed when patient care completed. Gloves must be changed between
caring or different patients (Pratt et al 2007).
7.2.5 Gloves must be disposed of as clinical waste following each episode of care and
hands decontaminated following the gloves being removed.
7.2.6 Attempts to clean gloves by washing or with hand gel must never be carried out as
the material may become damaged, thus altering their protective properties which
potentially exposes the wearer and subsequent patients to cross infection.
Furthermore, washing gloved hands is considered to be reprocessing, which has
legal implications as gloves manufactured as single use items.
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Prevention & Control of Infections - Standard Precautions – 18.12
7.2.7 Inappropriate use of gloves increases the wearer’s exposure to the chemicals and
accelerants in the glove material which can result in skin sensitization. Gloves
should only be worn when risk of contact with blood or body fluids.
7.3 Disposable Plastic Aprons
7.3.1 Disposable plastic aprons must be worn when there is a risk that clothing may
become exposed to blood, body fluids, secretions or excretions onto the clothing of
staff, with the exception of sweat or when close/direct contact may lead to
contamination by microbes from the patient, materials or equipment. Plastic aprons
should be worn as single use items for one episode of patient care and then disposed
of as clinical waste.
7.3.2 Full body repellant gowns or suits must be worn where there is risk of EXTENSIVE
splashing of blood, body fluids, secretions and excretions, with the exception of
sweat, onto the skin of health care workers.
7.3.3 Gloves and aprons must also be worn whenever attending patients in source
isolation.
7.4 Face Masks/Eye Protection
7.4.1 Face masks and eye protection or a full face visor must be worn where there is a risk
of blood, body fluids, secretions and excretions splashing into face, mouth and/or
eyes or when clinically indicated.
7.4.2 Respiratory protective equipment e.g. a face mask should be used when clinically
indicated. For the care of patients with smear positive Tuberculosis or influenza, high
efficiency filter masks (FFP3 respirator masks) must be worn during cough induction
or prolonged close contact (within one metre). These masks must also worn when
any aerosol generating procedure, e.g. administering medication via a nebulizer, is
carried out on a patient with any of these conditions. If FFP3 masks are to worn
staff to receive specific training for this.
7.4.3 For non aerosol producing procedures, masks are not generally worn.
7.4.4 Masks and visors are single use and must be disposed of as clinical waste. Some
eye protection equipment is re-usable but must be thoroughly cleaned as per
manufacturer’s instructions after each use.
8.0 SHARPS MANAGEMENT
8.1 Sharps injuries pose a real risk to health, particularly from bloodborne virus (BBV)
transmission, such as Hepatitis C/B and HIV. Any exposure to blood and body fluids
through a sharp object, bite or splash into the eyes or mouth must be followed up
immediately to prevent the risk of infection. Refer to Sharps Management Policy 18.11).
8.2 Definition - a ‘sharp’ is any object which can pierce or puncture the skin, which is
potentially contaminated with blood or body fluids. (DoH 1998)
8.3 Sharp items include anything which has the potential to cause a penetration injury, ie:
• Needles
• Lancets
• Glass vials/ampoules
• Specimen containers
• Stitch cutters
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• Razor blades
Great care must be taken when using needles and other items designated as sharps.
8.4 Disposable non-sterile gloves must be worn when taking blood samples. Sharps must not
be passed directly from hand to hand or to another person with handling being kept to a
minimum.
8.5 Sharps must be disposed of at the point of use, by the person using them, in a sharps
container which complies with BS 7320 and UN3291 standards.
8.6 Needles must not be re-sheathed, bent, broken or disassembled prior to disposal.
8.7 Sharps containers must not be filled above the manufacturer’s marker line, the temporary
closure mechanism should be in place when sharps bin is not in use and locked in
accordance with manufacturer’s instructions when full.
8.8 Sharps bins should be constructed correctly and label completed accordingly. Label to be
completed when sharps bin locked.
8.9 Inoculation injury
8.9.1 If injury occurs:
1. Encourage bleeding
2. Wash injured area under running water and apply a waterproof dressing.
3. Splashes into the eyes, nose or mouth must be washed out with copious
amounts of water.
4. Report incident to Ward Manager or Nurse in Charge.
5. Seek medical help from Occupational Health
6. Follow the Occupation Exposure to Blood Borne Viruses Policy 18.06
7. If ‘out of hours’ seek advice from Accident and Emergency - (contact
Occupational Health if attended Accident & Emergency)
8. An IR1 to be completed as soon as practicably possible.
9.0 BLOOD AND BODY FLUID SPILLAGES
9.1 When there are spillages of blood and body fluids it is essential that these are disposed of
correctly to prevent the risk of transmission of micro-organisms to both patients and staff.
All blood and body fluids must be treated as potentially high risk.
9.2 Any spillage of blood or body fluids must be dealt with immediately and staff must wear the
appropriate PPE as set out in paragraph 6 above.
9.3 Large blood spillages must be soaked up using chlorine releasing granules (found in Biohazard
Spill Kits), left for three minutes, scooped up into the clinical waste bag provided
and then the area cleaned using the remainder of the products within the Spill Kit.
Manufacturers instructions must be followed ( Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne
Viruses Policy – Ref 18.06)
9.4 Small blood spillages/smears must also be cleaned using a chlorine releasing agent (e.g.
Milton or Haz Tabs) then the area cleaned afterwards with a neutral detergent or wipe.
9.5 Urine and vomit must be soaked up using absorbent paper towels which must then be
disposed of into the clinical waste stream. The affected area to then be cleaned with
appropriate combined detergent/disinfectant or wipes. Chlorine based products must not
be used on urine spillages.
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9.6 Excreta should be either flushed down the toilet or disposed of into a macerator. Wipes
and/or paper towels which are not flushable must not be used in this process. The affected
area to then be cleaned using combined detergent and disinfectant.
10.0 WASTE MANAGEMENT
10.1 The Trust Waste Management Policy (16.08) and local management of waste procedures
must be followed when handling and disposing of clinical and sharps waste.
10.2 Clinical Waste
10.2.1 Clinical waste is deemed as any human tissue and disposable items and materials
that have been used on patients, e.g. dressings, wipes, gloves, masks, aprons and
paper tissues all of which to be disposed of into an orange clinical waste bag. Soiled
mattresses should also be included within this definition although the local Waste
Manager to be contacted when it is necessary to dispose of mattresses.
10.2.2 Ensure that products that have been contaminated with blood or body fluids are
disposed of as clinical waste.
10.2.3 Infectious clinical waste including dressing bandages and wipes should be disposed
of in an orange bag 50 micron mesh.
10.2.4 Waste which has the appearance of clinical waste e.g. gloves, masks or aprons
should be treated as clinical waste, whether infected or not. This waste looks
offensive and would be difficult to prove that it was not contaminated. This also
applies to continence waste such as pads, urinary catheters and drainage bags,
whether from a urinary catheter or a stoma.
10.3 Sharps Waste
10.3.1 Refer to paragraph 7 above.
10.3.2 Includes syringes, needles, cartridges, empty or partially used injection vials/
ampoules and other sharp instruments.
10.3.3 As a general rule sharps waste to be placed in yellow plastic sharps bins with yellow
lids. If there is a large amount of sharps used for venepuncture, these are to be
disposed of in an orange-lidded sharps bin.
10.3.4 Purple-lidded bins to be used for the disposal of cytotoxic and cytostatic
medications. For Rampton Hospital only, the procedures in “Guidance No: 22
Management of Oral Cytotoxic Drugs On Wards” to ensure safe handling and
disposal of these medicines to be followed.
11.0 LAUNDRY
11.1 Safe handling of foul or infected linen minimises the risk of infection to staff required to
handle and launder the linen. HSG(95) 18 Hospital Laundry Arrangement for Used and
Infected Linen to be followed to minimise the risk of infection and injury to health care
workers and the wider community.
11.2 Definitions
• Used linen – any linen from non-infected persons
• Soiled linen- linen soiled with excrement or body fluids
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• Infected/infested linen- any linen used by infectious or infested (e.g. lice or fleas)
persons
11.3 Use of suitable bags
• Used linen – WHITE cloth bags (Clear plastic inner bags to be used for damp linen)
• Soiled/infected/infested linen – RED water soluble bag inside a CLEAR plastic inner
bag inside a RED cloth bag
11.3.1 Ensure that the linen bag is securely tied as per local procedure.
11.3.2 The initial handling and segregation of linen is a nursing responsibility.
11.3.3 To reduce the risk of infection and injury in the handling of used linen it is important
to always wear disposable gloves and aprons and to ensure that the linen contains
no objects likely to cause injury e.g. sharps.
11.5 Patients Personal Clothing
Many patients are encouraged to launder their own clothes using ward/unit washing
machines. Only normal used personal clothing should be laundered in this way. Each
patients clothing must be washed separately.
11.5.1 Patients clothing sent to the laundry which is infected/infested must be placed in a
red soluble bag.
11.5.2 Consideration should be given to the highest temperature a garment can be washed
at when purchasing clothing, in particular when purchasing heat labile clothing
which is easily damaged by the high temperatures required to launder/tumble dry
infected/infested clothing.
11.4.3 Consideration should be given to the disposal of heavily soiled linen/clothing rather
than laundering. Such items should be disposed of as clinical waste.
11.4.4 In Rampton Hospital the Foul and Infected Linen Disposal procedure to be followed.
12.0 DECONTAMINATION OF EQUIPMENT
12.1 Refer to the Trust-wide Decontamination Policy & Procedure (Policy Ref 18.01 & 18.01a for
full information on the decontamination of equipment.
12.2 At Rampton Hospital reference should also be made to the Decontamination of Dental
Equipment Procedure.
12.3 Equipment which is used for more than one patient must be decontaminated between
patients.
12.4 Decontamination will include cleaning and may be followed by disinfection or sterilisation
according to manufacturers’ instructions.
12.5 Medical devices which have been designated single use by the manufacturer are to be
used wherever possible. Any item marked with the single-use symbol (a figure 2 inside a
circle with a diagonal line through it) must not be reused e.g. syringes, catheters, gloves.
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12.6 Items marked ‘single patient use’ may be re-used on the same patient using
decontamination process between uses, and then disposed of when no-longer required, but
cannot be used on another patient e.g. nebuliser pots, oxygen masks.
12.7 Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should be worn.
13.0 ENVIRONMENT
13.1 Definition - The environment can be described as the total patient surroundings including
the fabric of the buildings and all fixtures, fittings and services including air and water.
13.2 Health care environments are a secondary reservoir for organisms that can result in Health
Care Associated Infections (HCAI). It is essential that infection prevention and control is
considered in existing clinical areas and for new builds or refurbishment in all Trust
healthcare premises (Infection Control in the Built Environment; NHS Estates 2002).
13.3 A high standard of cleanliness that promotes regular cleaning will remove dust, soil and
micro-organisms and help reduce the risk of cross-infection (A Matron’s Charter 2004).
13.4 The term ‘Environment’ refers to the following:
13.4.1 Any general surfaces, both horizontal and vertical work surfaces/work/tops, in the
patients total surrounding environment.
13.4.2 Any frequently touched surfaces in the surroundings, including sluice rooms,
clinical/treatment rooms, dental surgeries, interview rooms
13.4.3 Beds, trolleys and other furniture in the surrounding area, including telephones,
lockers and bed tables
13.4.4 Toilet facilities and commodes
13.4.5 Sinks, basins, baths/showers and any surrounding items such as hand hygiene
product dispensers/back plates, mirrors.
13.4.6 Floors
13.4.7 Doors, particularly those in immediate surroundings frequently touched by
patients, staff, visitors, particularly door handles.
13.4.8 Other paintwork and surroundings e.g. skirting boards, walls, partitions,
particularly those frequently touched.
13.4.9 Curtains, screens and window blinds.
13.4.10 Light fittings and fixtures, particularly those over examination couches and
patients beds.
13.4.11 Kitchen areas where food hygiene guidance should be followed.
13.5 All areas listed in paragraph 12.4 should be kept in good repair which in turn will enable
each item to be cleaned thoroughly.
13.6 All areas/work surfaces should be kept free of clutter for ease of cleaning.
13.7 Cleaning schedules must be displayed defining nursing cleaning tasks and
housekeeper/domestics cleaning tasks as well as frequency of cleaning.
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13.8 All staff should have knowledge and understanding of the importance of thorough cleaning.
Hands can transfer potentially harmful micro-organisms from contaminated
surfaces/equipment to patients and/or other surfaces if they are not washed or
decontaminated appropriately and effectively.
14.0 IMPLEMENTATION
14.1 Responsibility for assessing the implementation of this policy rests with the manager or
clinician responsible for either the staff or the patients. They will be required to identify and
carry out such preparation as necessary to confirm that staff understand the expectations
on them and that they are both competent and confident to discharge these.
14.2 The policy will be placed on the Nottinghamshire NHS Trust intranet site. Reference to the
policy will be made at Infection Prevention and Control training sessions for Sharps
Management.
14.3 The Trust Standard Prevention and Control Policy gives clear guidance of when and how
staff should adhere to the practice of using standard precautions.
.
15.0 TRAINING
15.1 Training will be included in the Trust Induction training and must also be included in local
induction training for new staff in wards and departments. This includes staff changing work
areas within the Trust.
15.2 Training regarding Standard Precautions should form part of staff KSF and be included in
personal appraisals. It is the responsibility of the Manager of the healthcare worker to
ensure that adequate training has been received.
16.0 TARGET AUDIENCE
16.1 All healthcare staff both in inpatient services and in the community setting.
16.2 All other Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust staff and contractors.
17.0 REVIEW DATE
17.1 This policy will be reviewed in 3 years or in light of organisational or legislative changes.
18.0 CONSULTATION
• Divisional Infection Control Prevention and Control Committees
• Trust-wide Infection Prevention and Control Committee
• Executive Leadership Council (ELC)
19.0 RELEVANT TRUST POLICIES/LOCAL POLICY AND PROCEDURES
• Health, Safety & Welfare – 16.01
• Waste Management - 16.08
• Decontamination Policy – 18.01 & 18.01A
• Hand Hygiene - 18.04
• Infection Prevention and Control – 18.05
• Isolation Policy – 18.10
• Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne Viruses -18.06
• Sharps Management Policy – 18.11
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20.0 MONITORING COMPLIANCE
Prevention & Control of Infections - Standard Precautions – 18.12
20.1 Compliance is monitored via a planned annual rolling programme of audit by the Infection
Prevention and Control Teams and Hotel Services for both Divisions. Action plans and
responsibilities are identified and followed up by the Infection Prevention and Control Team
and Hotel Services.
21.0 EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
21.1 This policy has been assessed using the Equality Impact Assessment Screening Tool. The
assessment concluded that the policy would have no adverse impact on, or result in the
positive discrimination of, any of the diverse groups detailed. These include the strands of
disability, ethnicity, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, religion/belief, social inclusion
and community cohesion.
22.0 LEGISLATION COMPLIANCE
• Health and Safety at Work Act (1974)
• The Health and Social Care Act 2008. Department of Health. Available at
www.dh.gov.uk/publications
• Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH) (2002)
23.0 CHAMPION AND EXPERT WRITER
23.1 The champion of this policy is Janet Sheard DIPC Executive Nurse. The expert writers are
Audrey Kirkland, Junior Matron Infection Prevention and Control, Forensic Services and
Fiona Hind, Junior Matron Infection Prevention and Control Local Services.
24.0 REFERENCES /SOURCE DOCUMENTS
Health and Safety at Work Act (1974)
HSG(95)18 Hospital Laundry Arrangements for Used and Infected Linen (1997)
Department of Health (1998) Guidance for clinical health care workers: protection against
infection with blood-borne viruses. London. Department of Health.
Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency. Safe use and disposal of sharps.
MDA SN 2001(19). 2001
http://devices.mhra.gov.uk/mda/mdawebsitev2.nsf/
Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) (2002)
NHS Estates (2002) Infection Control in the Built Environment.
National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence CG2 2003
Department of Health (2004) A Matron’s Charter: An Action Plan for Cleaner Hospitals
Universal precautions: A review of knowledge, compliance and strategies to improve.
Gammon and Gould Journal of Research in Nursing. 2005: 10: 529-547
Pratt RJ, Pellowe CM, Wilson JA, Loveday HP et all (2007) epic2: National evidence-based
guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections in NHS hospitals in England.
Journal of Hospital Infection 65 (Supplement)
Available from: www.epic.tvu.ac.uk/epic/notice.html
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Standard Precautions Policy for Infection Control Northampton Teaching PCT Policy for
Infection Control 2007
Standard Precautions Bury Primary Care Trust 2007
The Health and Social Care Act 2008. Department of Health available at
www.dh.gov.uk/publications
Royal College of Nursing Infection Control minimum standards
Ayliffe G.A.J et al (2009) Control of Hospital Infection. Arnold. London
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Your 5 moments for hand hygiene
at the point of care*
APPENDIX 1
*Adapted from the WHO Alliance for Patient Safety 2006
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APPENDIX 2
Policy/Procedure for:
PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF INFECTIONS -STANDARD
PRECAUTIONS
Issue: 1
Status:
Author Name and Title:
APPROVED
Audrey Kirkland, Junior Matron Infection Prevention and
Control, Forensic Services and Fiona Hind, Junior Matron
Infection Prevention and Control, Local Services
Issue Date: FEBRUARY 2011
Review Date: FEBRUARY 2014
Approved by:
Distribution/Access:
TRUST INFECTION CONTROL COMMITTEE
Normal
RECORD OF CHANGES
DATE
AUTHOR
POLICY/
PROCEDURE
DETAILS OF CHANGE
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EMPLOYEE RECORD OF HAVING READ THE POLICY/PROCEDURE
Title of Policy/Procedure: PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF INFECTIONS -
STANDARD PRECAUTIONS
I have read and understand the principles contained in the named policy/procedure.
APPENDIX 3
PRINT FULL NAME SIGNATURE DATE
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