Infection Control Annual Statement 2025 to 2026

Purpose

This annual statement will be generated each year. It will summarise:

• Any infection transmission incidents and any action taken (these will have been recorded in accordance with our Significant Event procedure)
• Details of any infection control audits undertaken and actions taken.
• Details of any infection control risk assessments undertaken.
• Details of staff training.
• Any review and update of policies, procedures and guidelines

Background

Greenway Community Practice has an Infection Prevention + Control Team (IP+C), comprising:

• Mrs Gemma Jones – Practice Nurse and Lead for Infection Control
• Mrs Alison Garrod – Quality Lead 
• Dr James Cross – GP
• Mrs Kate Barnes – Practice Manager

Regular Nurses meetings highlight the need for continuing good clinical practice in the prevention of infection at Greenway Community Practice. It is a standing item in these meetings and also in monthly Leadership Meetings with representatives from all teams within the practice

Although the Covid-19 pandemic has now considered to have been resolved, Greenway Community Practice produced comprehensive Covid-19 policies with detailed SOP (standard operating procedures), several of which involved Infection Control procedures. Those in use have been amended to revert back to normal good clinical Infection Control Practice operating standards as in previous years.

Significant Events

In the last 12 months, there has been 1 Significant Events involving Infection Control at Greenway Community Practice, which has been discussed within the Nursing and Managers Meetings as well as at a quarterly Significant Event Meeting.

It involved a patient coming into surgery with a scalp laceration causing blood spillage onto clinical surfaces. The incident was deemed to have been handled correctly with relevant policies updated to reflect this

Audits

Ad hoc practice Infection Control Audits have been undertaken in the last 12 months, by Julie Prior, the previous IPC Nurse Lead and Alison Garrod. No infection transmission incidents were recorded. A number of areas were identified as needing improvements.

• Removal of clinical waste bins from some GP rooms as not required, as part of our streamlining our waste stream
• Ensuring sharps bins in rooms are in the closed position when no clinician in the room.
• A comprehensive review of the use and cleaning of fans in hot weather

Annual audits take place where activity and procedure are looked at for:

• Hand Hygiene
• Personal Protective Equipment usage
• Clinical Room suitability and cleanliness
• Sharps Handling
• Specimen Handling
• Medical Devices
• Waste Handling and Disposal
• Regular Water Safety checks also take place as part of Health & Safety review

Risk Assessments

Risk assessments are carried out so that best practice can be established and then followed. In the past year a number of risk assessments have been carried out. These include:

• Urine Testing
• Giving immunisations
• Curtain washing in clinicians rooms
• Toys in clinicians rooms
• Venepuncture for the patient
• Venepuncture for the phlebotomist
• Use of Orange/Tiger stripe clinical waste bags
• Legionella (as part of Health & Safety)

Staff Training

There is a rolling 2 yearly Infection Prevention and Control training programme all staff complete, along with regular PPE update as required Infection Prevention and Control training is included with all new team member inductions

Both Gemma Jones and Alison Garrod attended an In Person IP&C training course on 06th June 2026

Policies, Procedures and Guidelines

All policies are regularly formally reviewed, however all are amended on an ongoing basis as current advice changes, or need arises.

The following policies/protocols are currently in place

• Clinical Waste Protocol (incl sharps) last updated July 2026
• Infection Control Policy last updated December 2026
• Laundering of linen last updated July 2026
• Personal Protective Equipment last updated July 2026
• Contagious Illness Policy last updated July 2026
• Hand Hygiene Policy last updated July 2026
• Needlestick Injuries last updated July 2026
• Specimen Handling last updated July 2026
• Disposable Instrument Usage last updated July 2026
• Patient Isolation Policy last updated July 2026
• Health and Social care Act 2008 Code of Practice on Prevention and Control of Infection

This Infection Control Statement covers the 12 months April 2025 to March 2026.