Infection Prevention and Control Annual Statement

Infection Control Annual Statement 

This annual statement will be generated each year in May in accordance with the requirements of The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. It summarises:

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

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead

Mr Banach is our Infection Prevention Control lead, and this role is supported by the Nursing and Management Team.

Infection transmission incidents (Significant Events)

This section should contain a summary of any significant events.

The summary of significant events (which may involve examples of good practice as well as challenging events) should also include any lessons learned and actions taken, as well as details of the review of significant events and how learning is cascaded to relevant staff.

Infection Prevention Audit and Actions Taken

In the past 12 months, we have carried out the following audits:

• Hand Hygiene – where all staff were observed and assessed washing their hands by our IPC Lead to ensure infection control protocol was followed correctly. This audit is carried out on a 6-monthly basis.
• Annual Infection Prevention and Control audit – where an external Infection Prevention and Control Nurse carries out an in-depth audit on the practice’s compliance with infection control protocols and polices, this includes the cleanliness and decor of the buildings. This took place on 06.05.2026, where Fearnhead Cross Medical Centre scored 95%
• Cleaning audits – carried out on a regular basis by our cleaning contractors

Risk Assessments

During December 2025, Fearnhead Cross Medical Centre underwent planned building works to reconfigure the existing premises and create additional clinical rooms. These works required temporary changes to normal operations, including the relocation of stock to Longford Street Surgery and temporary turning off refrigeration units.

All activities were undertaken in line with infection prevention and control (IPC) principles to minimise risk to patients, staff, and the integrity of clinical supplies:

• Risk Assessment: A documented IPC risk assessment was completed prior to the works, identifying potential risks such as contamination from dust, disruption to the cold chain, and handling of clinical stock.
• Stock Management and Transport: Clinical stock was transferred to the branch site using sealed, cleanable containers. Items were checked before relocation to ensure they were intact and within expiry.
• Cold Chain Maintenance: Where refrigeration was required, temperature-sensitive items were transferred to validated alternative refrigeration at the branch site.
  Temperature monitoring procedures were maintained throughout transportation and storage in accordance with national guidance.
• Cleaning and Decontamination: Following completion of the works, all newly created rooms and affected areas underwent a thorough deep clean before being brought into clinical use, in line with IPC standards.
• Waste Management: Any waste generated, including potentially contaminated materials or compromised stock, was disposed of in accordance with clinical waste regulations.

These measures ensured that infection risks associated with the building works, stock transfer, and temporary refrigeration shutdown were effectively mitigated, maintaining patient safety and compliance with IPC standards.

Immunisations: Practice staff giving certain immunisations need to receive annual comprehensive training and competency assessment in order that the vaccines and immunisations are administered safely and effectively, so that those who receive these vaccines are protected.

Our annual calibration and PAT testing will be completed on 29^th May 2026.

Training

All staff are up to date with their Infection Prevention and Control training via BlueStream Academy. All staff must complete this training during their induction period and then receive refresher training each year. The IPC lead attends extra external training sessions in addition to this.

Policies

Our Infection Prevention and Control policies are up to date and are available for staff to access easily on our practice shared drive.

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of each individual to be familiar with this Statement and their roles and responsibilities under this.

21^st May 2026

Ellie Stott

Associate Manager