Infection Control Awareness Training

The standard precautions are the minimum infection prevention and control practices that must be used for all patients in all situations. The Infection Control Training standard precautions include: 

1. Hand hygiene - considered the most important infection control measure for reducing the spread of infection.
2. Use of personal protective equipment (PPE) e.g.gloves, masks, eyewear and aprons. 
3. Respiratory & cough hygiene (‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’ technique) - Implement measures to limit the transmission of respiratory spread from either coughing, sneezing or running noses. 
4. Safe disposal of waste - Items like used gloves, aprons, swaps, dressing and other sharp or non-sharp contaminated with patient blood or saliva will need to be disposed of safely.
5. Safe management of body fluid - Blood, vomit or urine pose an infection risk in healthcare settings, such as care homes or hospitals, so the safe and effective management of spillage is essential.
6. Safe management of care equipment -reusable patient care equipment can easily become contaminated. The World Health Organisation advise, where possible, that items should be used once and disposed of. 
7. Clean and disinfected environmental surfaces - cleaning, disinfection and sterilization of equipment and surfaces are crucial in healthcare facilities to ensure vulnerable patients aren't at risk of cross-contamination.
8. Safe handling and disposal of linen - a linen deposit should be available to quickly dispose of linen once it's been used.

Although the CQC are responsible for ensuring infection control training is undertaken in the health and social care sector, it’s up to the care company to ensure their staff have completed Infection Prevention and Control training to meet the CQC requirements and guidelines. The CQC inspectors go by these questions and prompts to look at how well staff and people living in care homes are protected by infection prevention and control. The 8 questions are:

1. Are all types of visitors prevented from catching and spreading infection?
2. How are people supported to use and access their environment safely?
3. Are people admitted into the service safely?
4. Does the service use PPE effectively to safeguard staff and people using services?
5. Is there adequate access and take up of testing for staff and people using services?
6. Does the layout of premises, use of space and hygiene practice promote safety?
7. Do staff training, practices and deployment show the service can prevent transmission of infection and/or manage outbreaks?
8. Is IPC policy up to date and implemented effectively to prevent and control infection?