What is Infection Control?

There are many different words and phrases which reflect the breadth and depth of the medical speciality of infection prevention and control.

Infection prevention and control is an umbrella term encompassing a wide range of practices relating to preventing and controlling transmissible infections.

As a speciality, infection prevention and control is closely associated with medical microbiology, on the basis that infections are spread by microbes, or micro-organisms, that are the focus of the microbiology service associated with diagnosing and providing guidance on treating infections with antibiotics.

Due to its association with medical microbiology, and due to the fact that many patients with infections are treated in hospitals, infection prevention and control has been perceived to be a hospital speciality – indeed, the term “nosocomial infection” was widely used until recently to describe an infection that was associated with hospital care – a hospital-acquired infection – especially if that infection was acquired as a result of cross-infection from one person to another. The best known examples of nosocomial infections in recent years are MRSA and C. difficile infection (or antibiotic-associated diarrhoea). However, the most common types of nosocomial infections – or those associated with health care – are urinary tract infections (especially when a catheter is in place); chest infections and surgical wound infections. Many of these infections also occur in people that are not in hospital – they may be in their own home or in a care home, for example, and thus the term health care associated infection is more applicable than the term nosocomial.

Health care has changed greatly in recent years, and the specialism of infection prevention and control has subsequently changed to meet the demands of 21st century health care.

It is now widely acknowledged that the term nosocomial or hospital-acquired infection is a misnomer. Healthcare is delivered in a broad range of different health (and social) care environments, and thus the term “healthcare-associated infection” has now widely replaced the term “nosocomial” or “hospital-acquired” infection to reflect this change.

When registering to provide health care – whether it is in a hospital, a GP surgery, a dental practice, an ambulance or a care home (or a wide range of other environments) ALL providers have to demonstrate that they have systems in place to prevent and control infections. The over-arching expert guidance document is called the Code of Practice on Preventing and controlling infections and Related Guidance (2022) published by the Department of Health.

Infection control principles must be supported by appropriate training to ensure they are followed consistently in real-world settings. Our IPC training helps healthcare and care staff understand their responsibilities and apply infection control measures effectively.