Healthcare-associated infections: prevention and control

Statement

Trusts use input from local patient and public experience for continuous quality improvement to minimise harm from HCAIs.

What does this mean for patients, the public and trust boards?

Patients and the public can expect the trust to provide opportunities for them to be involved with planning and decision-making on quality improvement activities to prevent and control infections.

Boards ensure the trust has mechanisms in place to seek patient and public views and involve them in decisions related to quality improvement for infection prevention and control.

Evidence of achievement

1. Evidence that a non-executive director or equivalent (for example, a trust governor) has been assigned to lead on patient and public involvement in infection prevention and control.

2. Evidence of a range of mechanisms to involve patients and the public in the trust's decision-making to ensure continuous quality improvement in infection prevention and control.

3. Evidence that a variety of information sources and participation methods are used to gain insight into patient experiences of infection prevention and control.

4. Evidence that patient and public involvement groups for infection prevention and control reflect local demographics.

5. Evidence of mechanisms to ensure patient experiences of HCAIs are used to inform reviews or investigations (such as outbreak investigations and root-cause analysis). This includes evidence that they are used to provide patients and carers with feedback on the outcome.

6. Evidence that patients' and the general public's perspective and priorities on infection prevention and control are taken into account in the trust's quality improvement programme.

Practical examples

Health and Social Care Act code of practice

No relevant criteria identified.

Relevant national indicators

None identified.