HAI Task Force, Task 14 - Model Infection Control Policies
May 2005
The final meeting has taken place of the Steering Group convened to oversee the development of, in the first instance, model policies for standard infection control precautions. Comments from the Group have led to some amendments being made to drafted policies and associated literature reviews and these are now being given final approval by Group members. Following this, policies will be circulated for wider consultation to a list of Steering Group approved organisations/ individuals, prior to their launch on HPS' web pages. The best way to disseminate information about the availability of these policies is currently being considered in conjunction with the Steering Group, in addition to the development/ provision of materials to support implementation of the policies at local level.
The objectives of these policies are:
- To provide a common approach to infection control;
- To provide evidence based practice where possible;
- To draw on best practice and promote the sharing of current experiences and common issues;
- To prevent duplication of effort and, therefore, reduce the effort spent on policy development, in an attempt to divert efforts to other areas i.e. implementation and compliance with policy;
- To provide greater certainty, clarity and consistency of advice for all involved in providing care, thus leading to better service provision.
It is intended that they will be suitable for use across all settings where care is delivered, e.g. primary care, care homes, acute care, in the following ways:
- They can be used as a “checklist” to ensure the relevant policies are in place in all areas;
- They can be used to examine content of local policies already in place, to ensure these are current and comprehensive;
- They can be used in their entirety as they are published to guide those in local areas where policies are not available;
- They can be used as a basis to inform local policy development, particularly where more specific, localised information is required to guide those providing care.
March 2005
The HAI Task Force has asked the Infection Control Team at Health Protection Scotland to lead on the development of and to produce Model Infection Control Policies.
Work to produce Model Infection Control Policies continues at this time, namely on the nine elements of Standard Infection Control Precautions. The Steering Group has met and a web Forum Board is accessible by the members of the Steering Group, in order that consultation can take place on the policies that have been drafted. It is hoped that these policies will be finalised, following wider consultation, with a subsequent plan for dissemination and implementation in the coming months. Thank you to those who have contributed to this work so far.
January 2005
The HAI Task Force has asked the Infection Control Team at Health Protection Scotland to lead on the development of and to produce Model Infection Control Policies. A Steering Group has been sent up, with multidisciplinary representation, and a Project Brief has been disseminated to members.
What do we mean by a “model policy”?
Definition of a model policy as it appears in the Project Brief:
A model policy is an example plan for action, written to a high standard, to guide those wishing to develop, refine, or compare their own policies, with a view to encouraging standardisation of policy across Scotland.
How are we gathering the evidence for the development of these policies?
Beth Cullen, Epidemiologist for the Infection Control Team, gave a presentation at the first meeting of the Steering Group to outline the methodology being applied for literature reviewing. This work forms the core of the guidance to be included within the model policies and has the benefit of utilising current awareness searches, ‘autoalert’ on the NHS elibrary, to keep completed literature reviews updated through awareness of any new studies published in specified areas.
HAI Task Force, Task 12 - Pilot Risk Methodology
May 2005
The pilot of the proposed methodology for the risk management of HAI is nearing completion and the first draft report of the pilot study will be discussed at the final meeting of the Steering Group due to be held at the end of May. It is hoped that, following consultation, the final report will be published in September 2005.
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