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Infection Control Annual Statement 2024-2025

Infection Control Annual Statement

Leacroft Medical Practice

Annual Infection Control Statement
2024-25

This annual statement will be generated each year in accordance with the requirements of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. It summarises:
• Any infection transmission incidents and any action taken (these will have been reported in accordance with our Significant Event procedure)
• Details of any infection control audits undertaken, and actions undertaken
• Details of any risk assessments undertaken for prevention and control of infection
• Details of staff training
• Any review and update of policies, procedures, and guidelines

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead
The Leacroft Medical Practice has one Lead for Infection Prevention and Control: Stephie Oliva, Practice Nurse

The IPC Lead is supported by the practice nursing team, including healthcare assistants, and the GP partners.

Stephie Oliva attended an IPC training course in 2023 and keeps updated on infection prevention practice.

Vaccine Management Lead

The named vaccine management lead is Sarah Dance. She is deputised by Wendy Owen.

Decontamination Lead

The named medical device decontamination lead is Stephie Oliva, deputised by Eve Fretwell.

Cleaning Lead

The named Cleaning Lead is Stephie Oliva, deputised by Eve Fretwell.

Infection transmission incidents (Significant Events)
Significant events (which may involve examples of good practice as well as challenging events) are investigated in detail to see what can be learnt and to indicate changes that might lead to future improvements. All significant events are discussed in partners meetings and the monthly practice meetings and learning is cascaded to all relevant staff.

In the past year there have been no significant events raised that related to infection control.

Infection Prevention Audit and Actions
The last Annual Infection Prevention and Control audit was completed by Infection Prevention Solutions in August 2023.

As a result of the audit, the following things have been changed in Leacroft Medical Practice

Vaccine fridges plug sockets have been labelled to prevent them being accidentally switched off.
Cleaning schedule has been placed in the cleaning supplies room for ease of access.
Sussex Dermatology have been asked to provide evidence of a decontamination schedule for their medical equipment.
Mop holders have been installed to better allow for storing inverted.

An audit on hand washing using a light box was last undertaken in June 2023.

The Leacroft Medical Practice plan to undertake the following audits in 2024-25:

Annual Infection Prevention and Control audit
• Cleaning audit
• Hand hygiene audit
• Annual clinical waste audit
• Quarterly sharps bin audit
• Weekly cleaning spot checks

Risk Assessments
Risk assessments and/or inspections are carried out or reviewed annually.

Legionella (Water) Risk Assessment: The practice has conducted/reviewed its water safety risk assessment to ensure that the water supply does not pose a risk to patients, visitors, or staff. The most recent inspection was carried out in July 2023.

Immunisation: As a practice we ensure that all our staff are up to date with their MMR and DTP vaccinations, and Hepatitis B immunisation when required by their role. All staff are offered seasonal influenza and Covid vaccinations. We take part in the National Immunisation campaigns for patients and offer vaccinations in house and via home visits to our patient population.

Curtains: The NHS Cleaning Specifications state the curtains should be cleaned or if using disposable curtains, replaced every 6 months. To this effect we use disposable curtains and ensure they are changed every 6 months. The window blinds are very low risk and therefore do not require a particular cleaning regime other than regular vacuuming to prevent build-up of dust. The modesty curtains although handled by clinicians are never handled by patients and clinicians have been reminded to always remove gloves and clean hands after an examination and before touching the curtains. All curtains are regularly reviewed and changed if visibly soiled

Cleaning specifications, frequencies, and cleanliness: We have a cleaning specification and frequency policy to which our cleaners and staff work. An assessment of cleanliness is conducted by the cleaning team supervisors and logged. This includes all aspects in the surgery including cleanliness of equipment.

Hand washing sinks: The practice has clinical hand washing sinks in every room for staff to use.

Training
• All our staff receive annual training in infection prevention and control and clinical waste management.
• IPC lead should attend IPC Lead Practice Nurse forums if and when they are organised by ICB

Policies
All Infection Prevention and Control related policies are in date for this year.
Policies relating to Infection Prevention and Control are available to all staff and are reviewed and updated annually and all are amended on an on-going basis as current advice, guidance and legislation changes. Infection Control policies are circulated amongst staff for reading and discussed at meetings on an annual basis.

Responsibility
It is the responsibility of everyone to be familiar with this Statement and their roles and responsibilities under this.

Review date
April 2025

Responsibility for Review
The Infection Prevention and Control Lead Stephie Oliva is responsible for reviewing and producing the Annual Statement for and on behalf of the Leacroft Medical Practice

Date published: 30^th April 2024
Date last updated: 30^th April 2024

Our Implementation of the NHS Constitution

How Leacroft Medical Practice implements the NHS Constitution

Principles

The Practice:

Provides a comprehensive service, available to all irrespective of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, belief, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity or marital or civil partnership status, and has a duty to respect their human rights.
Promotes equality through the service, providing and to paying particular attention to groups or sections of society where improvements in health and life expectancy are not keeping pace with the rest of the population.
Provides access to services based on clinical need, not on an individual’s ability to pay.
Aspires to the highest standards of excellence and professionalism, providing safe and effective high-quality care focused on patient experience.
Ensures that it is effectively lead and managed and its staff receive relevant education, training and development.
Its services reflect the needs and preferences of patients, their families and carers who will be involved in and consulted on all decisions about their care and treatment.
Ensures that it works across organisational boundaries and in partnership with other organisations in the interest of patients, local communities and the wider population.
Is accountable to the public, communities and patients that it serves.
Supports staff when they raise concerns about the service by ensuring their concerns are fully investigated and that there is someone independent, outside of their team, to speak to.

Patient Rights

Patients have the right:

To receive NHS services free of charge, apart from certain limited exceptions sanctioned by Parliament.
To access NHS services and not be refused access on unreasonable grounds.
To expect the Practice to assess the health requirements of the local community and to commission and put in place the services to meet those needs as considered necessary.
In certain circumstances to go to other European Economic Area countries or Switzerland for treatment which would be available through the NHS.
Not to be unlawfully discriminated against in the provision of NHS services including on grounds of gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, belief, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity or marital or civil partnership status.
To access services within maximum waiting times, or to be offered a range of alternative providers if this is not possible.
To be treated with a professional standard of care, by appropriately qualified and experienced staff, in a properly approved or registered organisation that meets required levels of safety and quality.
To be treated with dignity and respect, in accordance with their human rights.
To accept or refuse treatment that is offered, and not to be given any physical examination or treatment unless valid consent has been given.
To be given information about their proposed treatment in advance, including any significant risks and any alternative treatments which may be available, and the risks involved in doing nothing.
To privacy and confidentiality and to expect the Practice to keep their confidential information safe and secure.
To access their own health records.
To choose their GP practice, and to be accepted by that Practice unless there are reasonable grounds to refuse, in which case they will be informed of those reasons.
To express a preference for using a particular doctor within their GP Practice.
To make choices about their NHS care and to information to support these choices.
To be involved in discussions and decisions about their healthcare, and to be given information to enable them to do this.
To be involved, directly or through representatives, in the planning of healthcare services, the development and consideration of proposals for changes in the way those services are provided, and in decisions to be made affecting the operation of those services.
To have any complaint they make about NHS services dealt with efficiently, to have it properly investigated, know the outcome and how to escalate the complaint to the independent Health Service Ombudsman.
To make a claim for judicial review if they think they have been directly affected by an unlawful act or decision of an NHS body.
To compensation where they have been harmed by negligent treatment.

Patient Responsibilities

To make a significant contribution to their own, and their family’s, good health and wellbeing, and take some personal responsibility for it.
Register with a GP Practice.
To treat NHS staff and other patients with respect and recognise that causing a nuisance or disturbance on NHS premises could result in prosecution.
To provide accurate information about their health, condition and status.
To keep appointments, or cancel within reasonable time.
To follow the course of treatment which they have agreed, and talk to their clinician if they find this difficult.
To participate in important public health programmes such as vaccination.
To ensure that those closest to them are aware of their wishes about organ donation.
To give feedback – both positive and negative – about the treatment and care they have received, including any adverse reactions they may have had.

Practice Staff Rights

Practice Staff have the right:

To a good working environment with flexible working opportunities, consistent with the needs of patients and with the way that people live their lives.
To have a fair pay and contract framework.
To be involved and represented in the workplace.
To have healthy and safe working conditions and an environment free from harassment, bullying or violence.
To be treated fairly, equally and free from discrimination.
To raise an internal grievance and if necessary seek redress, where it is felt that a right has not been upheld.
To raise any concern with their employer, whether it is about safety, malpractice or other risk, in the public interest, without suffering any detriment.

NHS Pledge to Staff Members

The NHS Commits:

To provide a positive working environment for staff and to promote supportive, open cultures that help staff do their job to the best of their ability.
To provide all staff with clear roles and responsibilities and rewarding jobs for teams and individuals that make a difference to patients, their families and carers and communities.
To provide all staff with personal development, access to appropriate training for their jobs and line management support to succeed.
To provide support and opportunities for staff to maintain their health, well-being and safety.
To engage staff in decisions that affect them and the services they provide, individually, through representative organisations and through local partnership working arrangements. All staff will be empowered to put forward ways to deliver better and safer services for patients and their families.
To have a process for staff to raise an internal grievance.
To support all staff in raising concerns at the earliest reasonable opportunity about safety, malpractice or wrongdoing at work, responding to and, where necessary, investigating the concerns raised and acting consistently with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998.

Practice Staff Responsibilities

Practice Staff have the duty:

To accept professional accountability and maintain the standards of professional practice as set by the appropriate regulatory body applicable to their profession or role.
To take reasonable care of health and safety at work for themselves, their team and others, and to co-operate with employers to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements.
To act in accordance with the express and implied terms of their contract of employment.
Not to discriminate against patients or staff and to adhere to equal opportunities and equality and human rights legislation.
To protect the confidentiality of personal information that they hold unless to do so would put anyone at risk of significant harm.
To be honest and truthful in applying for a job and in carrying out that job.
To play their part in ensuring the success of the NHS and delivering high-quality care by:
- Maintaining the highest standards of care and service, taking responsibility not only for the care they personally provide, but also for their wider contribution to the aims of their team and the NHS as a whole;
- Taking up training and development opportunities provided over and above those legally required of their particular post;
- Actively taking part in sustainably improving services by working in partnership with patients, the public and communities;
- Raising any genuine concern they may have about a risk, malpractice or wrongdoing at work (such as a risk to patient safety, fraud or breaches of patient confidentiality), which may affect patients, the public, other staff or the Practice itself, at the earliest reasonable opportunity;
- Involving patients, their families, carers or representatives fully in decisions about prevention, diagnosis, and their individual care and treatment;
- Being open with patients, their families, carers or representatives, including if anything goes wrong – welcoming and listening to feedback and addressing concerns promptly and in a spirit of co-operation;
- Contributing to a climate where the truth can be heard, the reporting of, and learning from errors is encouraged and colleagues are supported where errors are made;
- Viewing the services they provide from the standpoint of a patient, and involve patients, their families and carers in the services they provide, working with them, their communities and other organisations, and making it clear who is responsible for their care.
- To take every appropriate opportunity to encourage and support patients and colleagues to improve their health and wellbeing;
- To contribute towards providing fair and equitable services for all and play your part, wherever possible, in helping to reduce inequalities in experience, access or outcomes between differing groups or sections of society requiring health care;
- To inform patients about the use of their confidential information and to record their objections, consent or dissent; and
- To provide access to a patient’s information to other relevant professionals, always doing so securely, and only where there is a legal and appropriate basis to do so.

Privacy Notice

Suggestions, Comments and Complaints

We aim to provide patients with the best care we can, but we will sometimes fall short of the mark.

If you have any compliments, comments, concerns or complaints about our service, we want to hear about it.

We would encourage you to speak to whoever you feel most comfortable with – your doctor, a nurse, a receptionist or manager – but if you prefer to give your feedback in writing, please send it to the Practice Manager at the surgery address or complete our online complaints form.

If you have a complaint to make, please don’t be afraid to say how you feel. We welcome feedback to help us improve our standards and you will not be treated any differently because you have complained. We will just do our best to put right anything that has gone wrong.

Alternatively, you have the right to approach NHS England if you do not feel comfortable in contacting us directly and raise your complaint directly with them.

If you would like free help or support when making a complaint, residents of West Sussex may contact the Independent Health Complaints Advocacy Service (IHCAS).

The contact details for the new IHCAS service are:
Tel: 0300 012 0122
Website: www.healthwatchwestsussex.co.uk
Office: Healthwatch West Sussex,
Billingshurst Community Centre,
Roman Way,
Billingshurst,
RH14 9QW

If, having made a formal complaint, you have received a response from us and you are not satisfied with that response, you can refer the matter to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, who are independent of the NHS and government.

You may contact the PHSO via their helpline on 0345 015 4033, or go to https://www.ombudsman.org.uk/making-complaint for more information.

Summary Care Records

There is a new Central NHS Computer System called the Summary Care Record (SCR). It is an electronic record which contains information about the medicines you take, allergies you suffer from and any bad reactions to medicines you have had.

Why do I need a Summary Care Record?

Storing information in one place makes it easier for healthcare staff to treat you in an emergency, or when your GP practice is closed.
This information could make a difference to how a doctor decides to care for you, for example which medicines they choose to prescribe for you.

Who can see it?

Only healthcare staff involved in your care can see your Summary Care Record.

How do I know if I have one?

Over half of the population of England now have a Summary Care Record. You can find out whether Summary Care Records have come to your area by asking your GP.

Do I have to have one?

No, it is not compulsory. If you choose to opt out of the scheme, then you will need to complete the form available here.

More information

For further information visit:

NHS Care records

Training Practice

We’re proud to be a training practice, helping to train the next generation of doctors and nurses. We host GP registrars from Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust, medical students from Brighton and Sussex Medical School, as well as nursing students from Guildford and Brighton Universities.

Trainees may observe consultations or see patients independently, sometimes recording consultations for learning purposes. You will be asked for permission before a consultation may be observed or recorded. You can request an observing trainee to leave or stop recording at any time.

Zero Tolerance Policy

It is the aim of Leacroft Medical Practice to provide a safe and pleasant environment in which patients, visitors and staff can work together to meet the needs of those requiring medical care.

A code of conduct is displayed in our surgeries outlining how we expect patients to behave when attending or telephoning the surgery.

Any person acting in an unacceptable manner will be dealt with in accordance with the code.

Violent behaviour will not be tolerated and will result in police prosecution and removal from the practice list.