Infection Control Annual Statement

GROVE MEDICAL CENTRE

Infection Prevention Control Annual Statement

2025

 

Purpose

 

This annual statement will be generated each year in February in accordance with the requirement of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. It summarises:

 

·         Any infection transmission incidents and any actions taken

·         Details of infection control audits undertaken and resulting actions taken

·         Details of any risk assessments undertaken for prevention and control of infection

·         Staff education and training

·         Any review and update of policies, procedures and guidance

·         Antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship

 

 

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead

 

IPC Nursing lead: Katherine Boshoff – ACP/ANP

IPC GP lead: Dr Leach

Antimicrobial prescribing Lead:  Dr R Verma

Sepsis Lead: Dr R Verma

ICB Lead: Erika Bowker

IPC Support and queries: syheartlandsccg.shipc@nhs.net

 

Infection transmission incidents (Significant Events)

 

Significant events (may involve examples of good practice as well as challenging events) are

investigated in detail to determine what can be learnt and indicate changes that might lead to future improvements.

All significant events are reviewed in monthly staff meetings and learning is cascaded to all relevant staff.

 

There were no significant events relating to Infection Control in the last 12 months.

 

Infection Prevention Audit and Actions

 

The Annual Infection Prevention and Control audits were completed by T. Warwicker in August 2024 and  K Boshoff in Feb 2025.

As a result of these audits, the following actions were taken:

 

·         Curtains were changed in three rooms.

·         Torn waiting room chairs were replaced

·         A new barrier was set up in the waiting room that complies with IPC guidance. The non compliant barrier was removed.

·         New regular waste and clinical bins were ordered and implemented. This action is still in progress.

·         An extra external recycling bin was added.

·         The practice had solar panels installed to improve it’s environmental impact.

·         A new hand gel dispenser system was installed in the waiting room and reception kiosk.

·         A new colour coded mop system was introduced to streamline cleaning and ensure IPC compliance.

·         New guidance from ASPH regarding all types of swabs and their uses. Information displayed on the bulletin board outside room 9.

 

 

An audit on Minor Surgery was carried out by Dr R Verma, 1.8% infections were reported, which is under the national guidance of 5%. 

 

An audit on coil and implant insertion was carried out by Dr Leach. 1.5% infections were reported which is under national guidance.

 

A hand Hygiene audit was undertaken in February 2025, this will be discussed in the next Clinical meeting and the relevant posters displayed.

 

The Grove Medical Centre practice plans to undertake the following audits in 2025

·         Annual Infection Prevention and Control

·         Minor Surgery

·         Hand Hygiene

·         Cleaning Standards

·         Coil and implant insertion audit

 

 

Risk Assessments

 

Risk assessments are carried out so that best practice can be established. In the last year the following risk assessments were carried out/reviewed:

 

 

Waste Management: As per the NHS Clinical Waste Strategy 2023, the Grove medical centre continues to make changes in its waste management practices. An extra recycling bin has been installed due to high levels of recyclable waste generated.

 

A risk assessment was carried out prior to installation of the new hand gel dispensing systems in the waiting room and check in area.

 

This practice has registered with the RCGP Green Impact for Health. It provides a toolkit to aid the practice improve its sustainability, reduce its harmful impact on planetary health; adapt to the risks of climate change. Solar panels have been installed at the practice to aim to reduce the carbon footprint.

 

Safe Management of Staff health and wellbeing to manage infection prevention and control.

This practice has processes in place to risk manage new and existing staff to assist them in their role within the practice e.g. risk assessment of need for immunisation; health screening; use of personal protective equipment (PPE); access to occupational health services.

Cleaning specifications, frequencies and cleanliness: the practice provides and maintains cleaning schedules that facilitate the prevention and control of infections. These are checked daily.

 

An annual deep clean of the practice is due in July 2025.

 

 

Training

 

·         All staff receive annual training in infection prevention and control

·         All clinical and non-clinical staff have completed blue stream e-learning training

·         All staff receive updates at monthly meetings and via the IPC notice board

·         IPC is integrated into the induction process for all staff

·         IPC lead attends quarterly Practice Nurse IPC Forums organised by Surrey Heartlands ICB. The last IPC forum was attended in January 2025.

 

 

Policies

 

All Infection Prevention and Control related policies are in date for this year.

These policies are available to all staff.

They are reviewed and amended on an ongoing basis in line with current advice, guidance and legislation changes.

All IPC policies are discussed with staff on an annual basis.

 

 

Responsibility

 

It is the responsibility of each individual to be familiar with this statement and their roles and responsibilities under this.

 

 

Antimicrobial Prescribing and Stewardship

 

Antimicrobials are a group of agents that either kill or inhibit the growth and division of micro-organisms. They include antibiotics, antiseptic, disinfectants, antiviral, antifungal, antibacterial and anti-parasitic medicines. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) describes when micro-organisms evolve over time and no longer respond to any antimicrobial therapy.

The solution to reducing further AMR is Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS), this is a healthcare wide system approach to promote and monitor judicious use of antimicrobials to preserve their future effectiveness.

·         The practice has systems in place to manage and monitor the use of antimicrobials e.g.  monitoring patients who may have severe infections such as sepsis to ensure they are treated promptly with suitable antimicrobials. Sepsis is reviewed at every monthly staff meeting and outcomes discussed.

·         The lead for sepsis and AMS attend monthly educational meetings where audits/prescribing events are analysed and best practice established. These were last discussed at the educational meeting in January 2025.

·         The practice follows the NICE Summary of Antimicrobial prescribing guidance – managing common infections ( February 2023) and the RCGP antimicrobial guidance (January 2024).

·         The practice works in line with the Surrey Heartlands ICB Antimicrobial Optimisation Group which produces quarterly Microbial Matters Newsletters. This is distributed to all clinical staff.

·         Practice prescribers work closely with in-house pharmacists and lead PCN pharmacists to ensure standardisation of antimicrobial prescribing.

·         The practice promotes national antimicrobial awareness on its website as and when this arises.

·         The practice follows the Surrey Heartlands ICB Wound Management Formulary which promotes evidence based guidance on wound management and topical antimicrobials.

·         Best practice information is disseminated to all staff via monthly meetings.

 

 

 

Review Date

 

Feb 2026

 

 

Responsibility for Review

 

The Infection Prevention and Control Lead is responsible for reviewing and producing the annual Statement

 

 

Katherine Boshoff

ACP/ANP Feb 2025

 

 

 

For and on behalf of the Grove Medical Centre Practice