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Infection prevention and control responsibilities

26/05/2020

The following is taken from infection prevention and control joint guidance by the Department of Health and Social Care, Public Health Wales, Public Health Agency Northern Ireland, Health Protection Scotland, and Public Health England, updated October 2020. Please see here for the latest guidance. 

Staff uniforms

The appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE) will protect staff uniform from contamination in most circumstances. Healthcare facilities should provide changing rooms/areas where staff can change into uniforms on arrival at work.

Healthcare laundry services should be used to launder staff uniforms. If there is no laundry facility available, then uniforms should be transported home in a disposable plastic bag. This bag should be disposed of into the household waste stream.

Uniforms should be laundered:

  • separately from other household linen
  • in a load not more than half the machine capacity
  • at the maximum temperature the fabric can tolerate, then ironed or tumble-dried.

It is best practice to change into and out of uniforms at work and not wear them when travelling; this is based on public perception rather than evidence of an infection risk.

Hand hygiene

Hand hygiene must be performed immediately before every episode of direct patient care and after any activity or contact that potentially results in hands becoming contaminated, including the removal of personal protective equipment (PPE), equipment decontamination, and waste handling.

Download the WHO hand hygiene poster

Facial hair and FPP3 respirators

The joint guidance includes a useful pictogram showing different styles of beards and which are suitable or unsuitable when using FPP3 respirators.

Decontamination of reusable non-invasive patient care equipment

For guidance on the routine decontamination of reusable non-invasive patient care equipment, please see here.

e-LfH training

Courses in the e-Learning for Health coronavirus programme currently include:

  • Infection prevention and control
  • Personal protection equipment
  • Invasive ventilation
  • Essential guidance from the NHS, Government and WHO

For more information about this programme, please see here.

    • Workforce, Governance and Regulations

      • MHRA website for reporting medicine side-effects and equipment incidents
      • Common employment questions
      • COVID testing for staff
      • Health and Safety Executive: Covid-19 RIDDOR Advice
      • Information governance
      • IR(ME)R
      • Guidance for the clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV)
      • Pregnancy
      • Radiology Service Managers
      • Returners to practice; retired radiographers; registered radiographers in other work areas; and volunteers
      • Sick leave and time off
      • Social Partnership Forum pandemic working guidance
      • National staff council terms and conditions
      • SoR members administering covid-19 vaccines
      • The Quality Standard for Imaging (QSI)
    • Infection control and PPE

      • Cleaning and decontamination of equipment
      • Contact with infected patients or suspected cases
      • Infection prevention and control responsibilities
      • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
      • PPE and the importance of workplace risk assessments
      • PPE guidance posters for imaging and oncology teams
      • PPE: Urgent update for members
      • NHS staff urged to have flu vaccine
      • Resuscitation Council UK Statement on PHE PPE Guidance
      • SoR backs call for upgrade in PPE for healthcare staff
      • Treating patients who refuse to wear a mask or suitable face covering
    • Radiotherapy

      • Radiotherapy services
    • Diagnostic Radiography

      • Imaging and interventional radiology
      • Breast screening and mammography
      • IV administration
      • MRI
      • Nuclear medicine
      • Nuclear medicine hints and tips
      • Screening restart
      • Ultrasound
      • CT
      • General radiography
    • Education and students

      • e-Learning for Healthcare
      • Image interpretation resources
      • Planned placement arrangements
      • Pre-registration education providers
      • Students: What you need to know
      • Student dos and don'ts during Covid-19
      • Student support guidance
      • CoR advice to education providers during the Covid-19 pandemic
    • Clinical Guidelines

      • RCR Guidance
      • Royal College of Surgeons Clinical guide to surgical prioritisation
    • HSC Northern Ireland

      • Breast screening
      • Guidance and Information
      • HSC questions and answers for health and social care staff
    • NHS Scotland

      • Covid special leave arrangements
      • National guidance for staff and managers
      • Covid-19 recruitment portal for former health staff and final year students
      • Scottish Terms and Conditions Committee
      • NHS pauses screening programmes across Scotland
      • NHS Scotland Psychosocial support and wellbeing - Looking after people, yourself, and your staff
      • COVID-19 eUpdates
    • NHS Wales

      • Health and Social Care in Wales – COVID-19: Looking Forward
      • Compassion starts with me - wellbeing resources, toolkits and guidance from across Wales
      • NHS Wales Colleague Health and Wellbeing
      • Student support guidance
      • FAQs
    • Wellbeing, emotional and mental health

      • Resilience and wellbeing
      • Wellbeing, emotional and mental health support and resources

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