All practices must have a written policy and procedures on infection control that are reviewed regularly and amended to reflect the most recent recommendations. Some practices might choose to create a single comprehensive Infection Control policy or, alternatively, several smaller policies covering relevant aspects of infection control (as is presented in the PSM templates) might be more convenient to maintain. Irrespective of how this is done, it is important that regular reviews take place and that the policy/ies and procedures are amended to reflect the most recent recommendations.
Put together a comprehensive policy (or policies) that details the infection control activities in the practice, to include:
- staff training
- confidentiality (regarding patient histories and staff health information)
- immunisation and health clearance (including hepatitis B status)
- hand hygiene
- occupational exposure management (including sharps)
- legionella
- dental unit water lines
- control of the environment
- personal protective equipment
- safe disposal of waste
- procurement of infection control and decontamination items (including, single use items, reusable instruments and equipment)
- decontamination of reusable instruments (including cleaning and disinfection, sterilization and storage)
- dispatch to laboratories and suppliers
- dispatch of pathology specimens
- infection control for domiciliary visit
Refer to Health Protection Scotland’s National Infection Prevention and Control Manual for guidance in developing policy/ies for your own practice or use the templates provided below.
Ensure all staff are aware of the policy/ies and contents.
Keep up to date with the latest recommendations on infection control (e.g. see National Services Scotlands’ Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection website), review your infection control policy/ies on a regular basis and make staff aware of any changes (e.g. at practice meetings).
Templates
- Control of the Environment Policy and Procedures template
- Decontamination of Reusable Items Policy and Procedures template
- Dispatch to Laboratories and Equipment Suppliers Policy template
- Dispatch of Pathology Specimens template
- Example Job Description Including LDU Duties template
- Hand Hygiene Policy and Procedures template
- Health Clearance and Immunisation Policy template
- Infection Control Policy template
- Infection Control for Domiciliary Visits Policy template
- Occupational Exposure Management, including Sharps, Policy template
- Personal Protective Equipment template
- Procurement of Infection Control and Decontamination Items Policy template
- Waste Management Policy template