INFECTION CONTROL STANDARDS FOR ADULT CARE HOMES: A CONSULTATION
Draft Standards for Infection Control in Adult Care Homes and Other Adult Care Services.
STANDARD 6 - Processes: Policies, Procedures & Guidance
Standard Statement
Written policies/procedures/guidelines for the prevention and control of infection are implemented and reflect relevant legislation and published guidance.
Rationale
Access to up-to-date policies/ procedures/ guidelines is essential for staff to carry out their duties safely and consistently to the required standard.
Criteria
6.1 Policies/ procedures/ guidelines are approved by the ICG.
6.2 There is a system in place to ensure each unit/ staff group has a current copy of the approved policies/procedures/guidelines pertinent to its activities.
6.3 All staff have access to documentation detailing;
a) an overview of the infection control structure of the service
b) responsibilities for infection control within the service
c) sources of external advice e.g. local NHS services: local authority, local Care Commission Officers, Scottish Water
6.4 Key policies/procedures/guidelines are in place, and where assessed as relevant, include:
a) Cleaning and disinfection of medical devices (including reference to Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease (CJD) or variant CJD
b) Collection, handling and delivery of laboratory specimens
c) Environmental hygiene
d) Food hygiene
e) Hand hygiene
f) Identification, management, control and the reporting of incidents and outbreaks of notifiable and communicable disease(s)
g) Immunisation for service users
h) Indwelling medical devices (to include e.g. urinary catheters, percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy tubes (PEGS), central venous lines)
i) Isolation of service users with known or suspected communicable disease
j) Last Offices
k) Laundry
l) Legionella control
m) Management of exposure to blood borne infections, including the need for treatment after injury
n) Pets
o) Safe handling and disposal of waste, including risk assessment procedures
p) Single use & single patient use devices and other care products
q) Specific advice for the following infections and organisms:
- Clostridium difficile
- Influenza
- MRSA ( Methicillin ResistantStaphylococcus aureus)
- Scabies and lice
- Shingles (Varicella Zoster Virus)
- Tuberculosis
r) Staff health policies for prevention and management of communicable infections.
s) Standard infection control precautions (i.e. universal blood and body fluid precautions including other body substance precautions).
6.5 The annual ICP includes a timetable stating which key infection control policies/procedures/guidelines are to be reviewed or written that year.
6.6 All policies/procedures/guidelines are clearly marked on each page with a date of preparation, a review date and a page number.
6.7 Relevant parts of key policies/procedures/guidelines are produced in abbreviated form and are accessible for routine use as aide memoirs by operational staff.