We aim to keep our practice clean and tidy and offer a safe environment to our patients and staff.  We endeavour to ensure our premises are  kept clean and well maintained at all times.

If you have any concerns about cleanliness or infection control, please report these to our Patient Care Navigators.

Our GPs and Nursing staff follow our Infection Control Policy to ensure the care we deliver and the equipment we use is safe.

We take additional measures to ensure we maintain the highest standards:

• Encourage staff and patients to raise any issues or report any incidents relating to cleanliness and infection control.  We can discuss these and identify improvements we can make to avoid any future problems.
• Carry out an annual infection control audit to make sure our infection control procedures are working.
• Provide annual staff updates and training on cleanliness and infection control
• Review our policies and procedures to make sure they are adequate and meet national guidance.
• Maintain the premises and equipment to a high standard within the available financial resources and ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to reduce or remove all infection risk.
• Use washable or disposable materials for items such as couch rolls, modesty curtains, floor coverings, towels etc, and ensure that these are laundered, cleaned or changed frequently to minimise risk of infection.
• Make Alcohol Hand Rub Gel available throughout the building

Significant events

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

Audits

An annual Infection Control Audit is undertaken in the Practice.  This is based on the Department of Health’s Audit Tool (2005).  The results from this year’s audit showed compliance in all areas.

Cleaning specifications

The cleaning staff work to structured cleaning schedules and the daily cleaning of the Health Centre is contracted to a company who follow national NHS guidance.  The public areas are cleaned at lunchtimes as well as every evening

Infection control policy

The Infection Control Policy is reviewed and updated annually if appropriate and updated on an ongoing basis as current advice changes.