Infection prevention and control

The Infection Prevention and Control Team are committed to providing a proactive approach to reducing the risk of health care associated infections to patients, visitors and staff to East Cheshire NHS Trust.

• Our departmental objectives
• Our services
• Our team
• How to contact us

Our departmental objectives

• Reducing MRSA new isolates
• Preventing and reducing MRSA bacteraemia
• Reducing Clostridium Difficile
• Implementing government directives
• Supporting business units in achieving their key performance indicators relating to infection prevention and control.
• Improving hand hygiene compliance
• Educating  patients and visitors as to their responsibility in preventing the spread of infection.
• Education and training to staff
• Producing and maintaining policies and procedures
• Responding to outbreaks
• Providing advice and support as appropriate.

Our services

What we offer to our staff

• Support and advice relating to management of patients with Infection prevention and control restrictions.
• Individual advice including supporting Occupational Health
• Education and training
• 1-1 sessions with staff

The benefits of our service

The Infection Prevention and Control Team are committed to achieving reductions in healthcare acquired infections (HCAI) by empowering staff, visitors and patients  to understand what we can do together to fight infection. Highlighting that Infections are not fussy about who they spread to, but by implementing simple steps e.g. hand washing  before and after patient contact, before entering and on leaving the ward at the sinks available.

Remember - its OK for our patients to ask staff to wash their hands.

View our infection control range of leaflets

Our team

Our team is made up of the following roles:

The Director of Infection Prevention and Control (DIPC) has the executive authority and responsibility for ensuring the implementation of strategies to prevent avoidable healthcare associated infections at all levels in the trust.

The service manager has overall responsibility for strategic and operational delivery of Infection Prevention and Control. Working with partner organisations and commissioners to ensure a robust healthcare economy service. Interpreting Department of Health documents, ensuring the impact for the organisation is detailed through the correct channels. The director also has a responsibility for policy development.

The Senior Nurses have responsibility for the day to day operational management of the teams and ensuring delivery of a robust service both within the hospital and community setting. Day to day support and advice relating to patients and staff issues.

The Infection Control nurses undertake patient management relating to patients with an Infection including acting on microbiology results in a timely manor. In addition they respond to outbreak management and provide advice and support to clinical areas. They also undertake audits, education and training,

Clinical Support Nurse – provides training in clinical areas from working with new staff, supporting existing staff and delivering training initiatives to improve patients quality and safety eg trust-wide implementation of aseptic non touch technique (ANTT).

Infection Prevention and Control Facilitator – to support the Infection Prevention and Control Team in delivering the service objective with particular focus on auditing and training.

Infection Control Support Worker- Data collection relating to MRSA screening, surgical site surveillance and auditing.

Secretary - ensures the smooth running of the office, providing performance data for the business groups and the Infection Control Group.

This list of roles is not exhaustive. All the team members support each other as required.

How to contact us

Acute Team - The Acute Infection Prevention and Control Team are based on the main corridor at Macclesfield District General Hospital and can be contacted on 01625 661597 or via the hospital switch board 01625 421000.

Community Team – The Community Infection Prevention and Control Team are based at Victoria Infirmary, Northwich and can be contacted on 01606 564091.