Infection Control

Courses We Offer in Infection Control


MRSA	C.Diff	HCAI	Norovirus

Every year at least 300,000 NHS patients develop healthcare associated infections. Reducing HCAI and improving cleanliness across all healthcare settings is the responsibility of everyone.

With good practice and careful hygiene estimates state that around 15-30% of HCAI could be avoided.

Healthcare Acquired Infection has attracted lots of media attention in the UK to date. People in the community expect substantially improved hand hygiene practices among health professionals.

The Code of Practice for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections (the “Hygiene Code”) came into effect on 1 October 2006. It applies to NHS bodies (NHS Trusts, Foundation Trusts, PCTs, Ambulance Trusts, Mental Health Trusts, and the NHS Blood & Tissue Authority). Under the Health Act 2006 the Healthcare Commission has limited powers of enforcement – it can issue Improvement Notices or report an NHS body for significant failings and recommend it is placed on ‘special measures’. To date, the Healthcare Commission has issued five Improvement Notices.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State made commitments in September 2007 to give the Care Quality Commission greater enforcement powers to fine hospitals and close wards in response to Healthcare Associated Infections.

The new registration system in the Health and Social Care Bill provides the mechanism by which these new enforcement powers can be applied to the NHS. Without registering organisations, the Care Quality Commission cannot use the new powers. The Government response to the consultation, The Future Regulation of Health and Adult Social Care committed to phasing in the new registration system over the period April 2009 to April 2010 – with healthcare associated infections as the first priority for NHS registration.

The Healthcare Commission in its 2007/8 inspections for HCAI found that 90% of Trusts had minor breaches of the current Code.

Benefits of improved compliance

In 2006 there were approximately 6,500 deaths associated with MRSA and C difficile infections in 218 NHS communal establishments (source: ONS data taken from death certificates 2006 mentioning MRSA or C. Difficile adjusted for proportion of deaths arising in trusts, other communal residences and elsewhere from 2001-6.
The 2007 Healthcare Commission report, “Healthcare Associated Infection: what else can the NHS do?”, provides qualitative evidence of a link between the specific activities required by the code and their impact on infection rates.
Studies of the effectiveness of processes with reducing infection suggest that 15% to 40% of infection can be avoided, (Source:NAO (200) Pittet et al).
It is assumed that a higher range of improvement can be achieved in severely non-compliant Trusts and the lower range in Trusts with minor problems.
In the NHS reducing infection leads to massive savings of around £4,000 to £10,000 per person (Source: Clean,safe care, DH, 2008). Using the lowest assumptions concerning reduced infection (at a cost of £4,000 per infection), it is estimated that £3.2 million would be saved. Using higher assumptions (At a cost of £10,000 per infection) up to £28 million would be saved.

The courses we offer below, can be combined to suit your needs.

Infection Prevention & Control
Management, Prevention & Control of MRSA
Management, Prevention & Control of Clostridium difficile (C.diff) infections
Management of Norovirus Outbreak

As you would expect our Course Facilitators are extremely knowledgeable in the field of Infection Control and often from an NHS Infection Control training background.

"Having used Worksafe UK's services on a number of occasions I have found them both a pleasure to work with and extremely professional. Their assessors combine thoroughness with an excellent personal touch and the reports produced are very easy to use yet provide all the detail we require". A.N Westfield Shopping Towns

Other Services We Offer include:

About Worksafe UK:

As you may already know, Worksafe UK is one of the largest Health & Safety Training companies in the UK today including Workstation DSE Risk Assessor Training, Manual Handling Training and Fire Warden Training and Competent Person Training to name a few.

For your peace of mind, all our trainers are highly experienced and each with many years of service in the Health & Safety field. Their experience allows them to go 'off script' where necessary to deal with questions relating to issues specific to your workplace.

Call 0870 118 8000 now for more information.