Guidance

Quality improvement statement 10: Trust estate management

Quality improvement statement 10: Trust estate management

Statement

Trusts consider infection prevention and control when procuring, commissioning, planning, designing and completing new and refurbished hospital services and facilities (and during subsequent routine maintenance).

What does this mean for people visiting, or receiving treatment in, hospitals?

People visiting, or receiving treatment in, hospitals can expect hospitals, and other parts of the trust estate, to be built and maintained in such a way as to minimise the risk of infection.

What does it mean for trust boards?

Boards ensure the whole estate is managed and maintained to minimise risk from infection.

Evidence of achievement

1. Evidence of local arrangements for involving infection prevention and control teams in the planning, design, commissioning, completion and maintenance of services and facilities used by the trust.

2. Evidence of local procedures to ensure infection prevention and control is considered during the commissioning and handover of facilities.

3. Evidence of local procedures to ensure infection prevention and control is considered during the selection, commissioning and installation of equipment.

4. Evidence of local arrangements (for example, a standard operating procedure) for involving the infection prevention and control team (or other appropriate expertise) in the development of estates policy.

5. Evidence of a planning process that 'designs out' potential infection risks and focuses on effective infection prevention.

6. Evidence of local arrangements to ensure estate management is considered and integrated into routine practice to reduce infection risk.

7. Evidence that estates and clinical staff, including temporary staff and subcontractors, receive annual training in infection prevention and control. This should include an assessment of their relevant competencies.

8. Evidence of mechanisms for consideration of current national estates policy and whether or not it should be incorporated into local practice.

Practical examples

  • Record of adherence to the trust estates policy, including the infection prevention and control (IPC) team's involvement. This should include sign-off of documents at relevant stages of the building and maintenance process.

  • Briefs and specifications outline the need to consider infection prevention and control when procuring, commissioning, planning, designing and completing new and refurbished services and facilities.

  • Record of completed and due maintenance tasks, including an assessment of whether the infection prevention and control objectives have been achieved.

  • Record of estates risk assessments that have considered infection prevention and control in areas of high HCAI risk (for example, in patient care areas and for facilities such as water-storage tanks).

  • IPC team-approved written protocols for routine, planned preventive maintenance (PPM), remedial and interventional maintenance activity.

  • Record of planned preventive, remedial and interventional maintenance works that adheres to IPC team-approved protocols.

  • Impact of planned preventive, remedial and interventional maintenance works in minimising the risk of infection to patients is regularly reviewed and considered.

  • An appropriately competent person regularly reviews, verifies, confirms and signs off work delivered in accordance with infection-control protocols.

  • IPC staff (or another recognised source of appropriate expertise) have allocated time and availability to review and advise on IPC issues during the initiation, planning, procurement, design and construction stages of projects.

Health and Social Care Act code of practice

Criterion 2: Guidance for compliance 2.1, 2.3

Relevant national indicators

None identified.