INFECTION CONTROL ANNUAL STATEMENT 2025/2026
Purpose
Mid Hampshire Healthcare (MHH) is committed to maintaining high standards of infection prevention and control (IPC) across all services it provides.
This Annual Statement has been produced with regard to the Health and Social Care Act 2008: Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Infections and Related Guidance and relevant national infection prevention and control guidance.
The statement provides an overview of MHH's IPC arrangements during 2025/2026, including: -
- Significant IPC incidents and learning;
- IPC audits and resulting actions;
- IPC-related risk assessments;
- Staff education and training;
- Cleanliness and environmental arrangements;
- Review and development of IPC policies and procedures; and
- Antimicrobial stewardship, where relevant to MHH services.
Infection Prevention and Control Lead
The MHH Lead for Infection Prevention and Control is Justine CURRAN, Clinical Lead, supported by Nikki COBBY, Head of Quality & Governance.
The IPC Lead and Head of Quality & Governance provide oversight and assurance regarding IPC arrangements across MHH services and ensure that relevant risks, incidents, audit findings and learning are considered through MHH's clinical governance arrangements.
Appropriate IPC training and professional updates are undertaken to maintain knowledge of current national guidance and best practice.
Infection Prevention and Control Incidents
MHH encourages the reporting of incidents and significant events relating to infection prevention and control. Incidents are reviewed to identify learning, determine whether further action is required and identify opportunities to improve patient safety and service delivery.
Relevant incidents are reviewed through MHH's Significant Event and clinical governance processes, with learning and actions shared with appropriate staff and services.
During the reporting period, no significant infection transmission events or outbreaks were identified within MHH services.
IPC Audit and Assurance
MHH undertakes a programme of IPC audit and assurance proportionate to the services it provides.
This includes, where applicable: -
- Annual Infection Prevention and Control audit;
- Hand hygiene compliance;
- Environmental and equipment cleanliness;
- Decontamination and appropriate use of reusable clinical equipment;
- Waste management and sharps arrangements;
- Use and availability of personal protective equipment (PPE);
- Infection prevention arrangements within MHH clinical environments and mobile services; and
- Service-specific IPC assurance and audit.
Findings from audits are reviewed by the IPC Lead and relevant operational and clinical leads. Where areas for improvement are identified, appropriate actions are agreed, monitored and followed through to completion.
Risk Assessment
IPC risks are considered as part of MHH's wider clinical and organisational risk-management arrangements. Risk assessments are undertaken and reviewed where appropriate to the environment, service or activity being delivered.
These include consideration of: -
Water safety and Legionella: - Appropriate arrangements are maintained for premises for which MHH has responsibility. Where MHH delivers services from third-party premises, assurance is sought as appropriate regarding relevant premises responsibilities.
Staff health and immunisation: - MHH assesses occupational infection risks relevant to staff roles and ensures appropriate occupational health arrangements are available. Immunisation requirements are considered according to the nature of the role, occupational exposure and current national guidance.
Clinical environments and equipment: - IPC considerations form part of the assessment of clinical environments, equipment, mobile services and new or changing service delivery arrangements.
PPE: - Appropriate PPE is made available based on the activity being undertaken and the assessed risk of exposure. Staff are expected to follow standard infection control precautions and transmission-based precautions where required.
Cleaning and Environmental Cleanliness
MHH recognises that a clean and appropriate clinical environment is fundamental to effective infection prevention and control.
For services delivered from MHH-managed premises, appropriate cleaning arrangements and schedules are maintained and monitored.
Where MHH services are delivered from premises managed by another organisation, responsibilities for environmental cleanliness are established locally, with MHH retaining responsibility for ensuring that the environment in which its services are delivered is appropriate and safe.
MHH staff remain responsible for the appropriate cleaning and decontamination of clinical equipment used in the delivery of MHH services in accordance with relevant policies and manufacturers' instructions.
Education and Training
IPC education forms part of MHH's mandatory training arrangements.
Training requirements are determined according to the individual's role, responsibilities and level of patient contact. Staff are expected to maintain the IPC knowledge, skills and competencies appropriate to their role.
Training may be completed through MHH's approved learning platform or, where appropriate, recognised equivalent training undertaken through another healthcare employer or approved provider. Evidence of training is recorded and monitored by MHH.
Staff also receive local instruction, updates and learning where required following changes in guidance, audit findings, incidents or identified risks.
This reflects the NHS England IPC education framework, which expects IPC education to be appropriate to the individual's role and identifies different tiers of competence rather than simply requiring identical training for every member of staff. NHS England
Standard Infection Control Precautions
MHH expects all staff involved in the delivery of care to apply Standard Infection Control Precautions appropriate to their role and clinical activity.
MHH takes account of the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual for England (NIPCM) and other relevant national and local guidance when developing its IPC arrangements. NHS England
This includes appropriate arrangements for hand hygiene, PPE, respiratory and cough hygiene, management of blood and body fluid exposure, safe management of care equipment, the care environment, linen, waste and sharps.
Antimicrobial Stewardship
MHH recognises that effective infection prevention and control supports good antimicrobial stewardship by reducing avoidable infections and the need for antimicrobial treatment.
Where prescribing forms part of an MHH service, clinicians are expected to prescribe antimicrobials in accordance with current local and national prescribing guidance and within their professional scope of practice.
Relevant prescribing activity may be reviewed through MHH's clinical audit and governance arrangements.
Policies and Procedures
MHH maintains IPC policies and procedures appropriate to the services it provides.
Policies are subject to scheduled review and may be reviewed earlier where there are changes to legislation, national or local guidance, service delivery, identified risks, incidents or learning.
Relevant policies and guidance are made available to staff and changes are communicated through appropriate organisational channels.
MHH's IPC arrangements take account of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Infections and Related Guidance and the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual for England. GOV.UK
Responsibility
Infection prevention and control is the responsibility of everyone working on behalf of MHH.
All staff are expected to understand and comply with the IPC requirements relevant to their role, follow MHH policies and procedures, undertake required training and promptly report IPC concerns, incidents or risks.
Managers and clinical leads are responsible for promoting good IPC practice and ensuring that identified concerns and actions are appropriately addressed.
Review
This Annual Statement will be reviewed and updated annually, or sooner where significant changes to IPC requirements or MHH service delivery make this necessary.
Date of Statement: October 2026
Next Review: October 2027
Responsibility for Review: -
Justine CURRAN – Clinical Lead Nurse Manager / IPC Lead
Nikki COBBY – Head of Quality & Governance
***Last Updated 05/10/26
