This annual statement summarises:
- Any infection transmission incidents and any action taken (these will have been reported in accordance with our Significant Events Reporting procedures)
- Details of any infection control audits undertaken and actions taken.
- Details of any infection control risk assessments undertaken.
- Details of staff training.
- Any review and update of policies, procedures and guidelines.
Statement 2024
Purpose
This annual statement will be generated each year. It will summarise:
- Any infection transmission incidents and any action taken (these will have been reported in accordance with our Significant Events Reporting procedures)
- Details of any infection control audits undertaken and actions taken.
- Details of any infection control risk assessments undertaken.
- Details of staff training.
- Any review and update of policies, procedures and guidelines.
- Antimicrobial prescribing and stewardship
Background
Infection control is a key element of the management of our practice and in meeting the needs of our patients. Our management team has responsibility for our infection control policies and procedures and in ensuring compliance.
We have reviewed our infection control policies to ensure that these are effective and we have carried out a detailed review with our cleaning contract to ensure the practice standards are improved and maintained.
We do not have extensive management resources but we do have a dedicated team who do an excellent job under dwindling resources and increasing clinical pressure.
Significant events
There have been no significant events raised that are related to infection control.
Audits
The North West Surrey CCG Infection Control Audit for General Practice template is used to as an audit guideline. The template covers the following areas Management of infection Prevention, Environment, Hand Washing/Hygiene, Clinical Practices, Clinical Equipment, Waste Disposal, Sharps Handling, Minor Surgery, Vaccine Storage and Specimen handling.
This audit covered all the key areas as noted above. No major issues or problems were highlighted during the audit.
Some minor improvements have been made with the ordering of new spill/biohazard kits, the improvement of signage and the review of procedures etc.
In general it is considered that the building is in good repair and any issues are effectively and quickly resolved.
- Cleaning contract extensively reviewed over the year to improve cleaning standards and attendance to areas of most need.
- Extra resources hired to deep clean and high level dust including curtain rails, notice boards and room blinds.
- Descaled sink areas. Within each clinical room soap dispensers have been reviewed and tested to ensure that they function correctly. These are refilled by the cleaners.
Risk Assessments
The surgery is very busy and the building well used. Although we have carried out much redecoration this is a never ending task especially in areas used by the public where marks can quickly build up. As part of this work the following assessments and improvements have been made:
- Lighting continues to be upgraded as we move away from fluorescent lighting towards LED tube lightening within the building and LED floods lights outside the building.
- External painting of windows – large project as several window frames were repaired/painted
- Improvements to the disability access ramp to make entrance easier for wheel chair users.
- Repainting of doors and walls in the corridor by rooms 14, 12 ,11, 10 ,9 up to room 8
- New clinically approved flooring surface fitted in rooms 14, 12 11 and 9
- Legionella risk assessment documented and external testing of water supplied conducted and confirmed to be compliant.
- Risk assessments spread sheet completed and available to all staff
- Events have been reviewed, discussed and action steps noted and documented as SAE and are available to all staff. Summary meetings and learnings shared.
- The Practice takes a prudent approach to the prescribing of Antimicrobial and Antibiotic medication. We perform well overall verses our peers in the prescribing habits published quarterly by the ICB. As a practice we are working on our 5 day antibiotic prescribing, and where clinically appropriate to bring that down to 3 days with a 5 day option if the patient is not improving.
Staff training
At the time of the publication of this annual infection control statement, most clinical staff are in date for annual hand washing training and infection control training. Training records are well maintained and accessible to all staff. We will continue this training program to ensure full completion.
Meetings
Infection control meetings are held as part of our practice meeting. This is tracked via the infection control log. These are minuted and actions steps assessed and available on shared drive. These are attended by all clinical staff and management.
Policies, procedures and guidelines
All Infection control policies were reviewed during 2024 and these are available on the shared drive.
Cleaning plans/schedules have been maintained and agreed with cleaning contractors.
The Managing Partner is responsible for premise maintenance, the regular monitoring of the standard of cleaning throughout the practice and reporting deficiencies to the contract cleaners.
Reviewed: June 24
Next review due: June 25
Person Responsible: PM
