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Infection Prevention and Control Management Policy Policy Statement for COVID-19 Management – with reference to guidance for Health and Social Care settings
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FRAMEWORK
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requires all providers of a regulated service to be registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A service is regulated if it appears in a list of activities described in legislation. This includes the delivery of healthcare to clients in hospice environments, both adults and children.
The Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 includes the following regulations:
‘Regulation 12: Safe Care and treatment • (2)(h) assessing the risk of, and preventing, detecting and controlling the spread of infections, including those that are healthcare associated;………’
And
‘Regulation 15: Premises and equipment • 15 (1) All premises and equipment used by the service provider must be (a) clean,………’ 15 (2) The registered person must, in relation to such premises and equipment, maintain standards of hygiene appropriate for the purposes for which they are being used….’.
These new regulations introduce the fundamental standards of quality and safety that all healthcare providers must comply with to prevent service users from receiving unsafe care and treatment and in order to prevent any risk of harm. The CQC monitors organisations for the characteristics of ‘good care’ against these fundamental standards to ensure services provided do not fall below acceptable levels. The CQC will use key lines of enquiry (KLOEs) to assess these fundamental standards and check whether the services provided are safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led.
In relation to implementation of these regulations the provider should be able to demonstrate compliance with the updated 10 Criteria of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance (DH) 2015. The Code contains statutory guidance about compliance with the registration requirement relating to infection control (regulation 12 (2) (h) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.
The law states that the Code must be taken into account by the CQC when it makes decisions about registration against the infection prevention requirement 12(h). Likewise providers must have regard for the Code when deciding how they will comply with registration requirements. By following the Code, registered providers will be able to show that they meet the regulation on cleanliness and infection
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prevention. However, they do not by law have to comply with the Code if they demonstrate a different (equivalent or better), way of compliance from that described in the Code.
The revised and updated Code of Practice does not introduce any new requirements for providers of services. However, it provides more explicit guidance on some elements of infection prevention and cleanliness with regard to recent changes in the evidence base as well as keeping pace with recent organizational changes and priorities. In particular, there is an additional requirement in relation to antimicrobial prescribing.
INTRODUCTION
This section of the infection prevention and control (IPC) manual describes how IPC is managed within the organisation in accordance with the legislation and expert guidance as above.
The purpose of infection prevention and control is to limit the acquisition and spread of pathogenic micro-organisms, by using scientifically based knowledge and through planning, surveillance, education and research as part of the overall policy of achieving high quality health and social care services.
The organisation supports the principle that infections should be prevented wherever possible and that effective arrangements for the surveillance, prevention and control of infection are provided throughout the organisation.
It is the organisation’s policy to encourage the individual responsibility of every member of staff to participate in the prevention and control of infection and to comply with Health and Safety, COSHH and other legislation and regulations applying to the safe provision of health and social care.
SCOPE OF POLICY
This policy and guidance apply to all members of staff employed by the organisation, and also agency and bank workers who are contracted by the organisation.
All adjustments to infection prevention and control arrangements and policy must be approved and assessed by the IPC lead.
The Chief Executive and Board of Directors have overall accountability for the provision of high standards of infection prevention & control.
