What is the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual?
The National Infection Prevention and Control Manual is to be adopted by all NHS Boards and should replace existing SICP policies.
The manual aims to align evidence based practice with monitoring, assurance, quality improvement and scrutiny by:
- providing straightforward practice requirements based on an assessment of the extant professional literature instigating consistency in practice and advice across NHSScotland;
- promoting the application of evidence based (not ritualistic) care processes by staff;
- complementing national improvement programs and providing a focus for the development of local measurement plans to achieve sustained practical implementation of a small number of critical activities into everyday practice (making the right thing easy to do for every patient every time), thereby reducing variation in practice and improving patient outcomes i.e. reduced Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs).
The first chapter of this Manual is Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs) Policy which is published as one of 3 distinct SICP documents.
- The SICPs policy is the practice guide to be applied by all NHS staff
- The literature reviews summarising the available evidence that underpins and informs the practical application of the SICPs policy and highlights implications for research
- A compliance and quality improvement data collection tool which contains a critical elements checklist that can be used as an aide memoire. This tool should be used to monitor and evidence compliance with SICPs.
The second chapter of the Manual will be on Transmission Based Precautions.
What are Standard Infection Control Precautions?
Standard Infection Control Precautions are intended for use by all healthcare staff in all healthcare settings at all times whether infection is known to be present or not to ensure the safety of patients, staff and visitors to the healthcare environment.
The 10 elements of SICPs are:
- Patient Placement
- Hand Hygiene
- Respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette
- Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Management of care equipment
- Control of the environment
- Safe management of linen
- Management of blood and body fluid spillages
- Safe disposal of waste
- Occupational exposure management (including sharps)
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