Infection Prevention and Control in General Practice
Page Contents
- CQC Requirements
- Local IPC Support
- Legionella
- Sepsis
- National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness
- Winter Readiness
- Clinical Waste
- Other Useful Resources and audit tools
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC)
Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) is a fundamental component of safe, effective healthcare. All general practices should have robust systems in place to minimise infection risks to patients, staff and visitors.
CQC Requirements
Practices should have:
- An identified IPC Lead.
- Accessible and regularly reviewed IPC policies.
- Policies for high-risk procedures.
- An IPC audit programme with action plans and evidence of improvement.
- Staff IPC training records.
- Cleaning schedules and equipment decontamination procedures.
- Access to occupational health services.
- Staff immunisation programmes.
- A sharps injury management policy.
Resources:
GP mythbuster 99: Infection prevention and control in General Practice – Care Quality Commission
Local IPC Support
Practices should seek advice from their local ICB IPC team regarding outbreaks, audits, and IPC queries.
- BSW: bswicb.ipc@nhs.net
- Dorset: Quality.Admin@nhsdorset.nhs.uk
- Hampshire & Isle of Wight: hiowicb-hsi.infectionprevention@nhs.net
Resources:
Find your local health protection team in England – GOV.UK
Legionella
What Practices Need to Do:
- Undertake a Legionella risk assessment.
- Ensure assessments are completed by a competent person.
- Review risks associated with water systems.
- Implement proportionate control measures.
- Maintain records of assessments and actions taken.
Resources:
GP mythbuster 27: Legionella – Care Quality Commission
Legionella and Legionnaires’ disease – HSE
Health & Safety – Legionella – Wessex LMCs
Sepsis
What Practices Need to Do:
- Train all staff in recognition of sepsis.
- Rapidly assess acutely unwell patients.
- Escalate high-risk patients via 999.
- Maintain emergency equipment.
- Implement safety-netting processes.
Audit sepsis referrals and learning events.
- Promote vaccination uptake.
Resources:
GP mythbuster 88: Identifying and responding to sepsis – Care Quality Commission
GP mythbuster 1: Emergency care in general practice – Care Quality Commission
About sepsis – The UK Sepsis Trust
Suspected sepsis: recognition, diagnosis and early management | Guidance | NICE
The NEWS2 scoring system – Adult Sepsis & Physical Deterioration – Wessex LMCs – Lunch & Learn
National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness
Considerations for Practices:
- Environmental cleanliness audits.
- Cleaning schedules and responsibilities.
- Equipment decontamination procedures.
- Waste management arrangements.
- Documentation of compliance activities.
Resources:
NHS Cleanliness Standards for GP Practices in 2025 – podcast
Winter Readiness
- Consider patient placement and isolation procedures.
- Ensure that risks assessments are robust, support compliance with legal, regulatory, and organisational requirements and provide evidence that risks have been considered and managed appropriately.
- Review PPE requirements, noting that Primary Care, like all NHS Providers are responsible for sourcing and purchasing their own PPE, including FFP3 respirator masks and FIT testing.
- Prepare for community outbreaks and care home incidents.
- Manage staff illness appropriately.
Resources:
RR1222: Face fit testing of FFP3 respirators: the impact of sampling port location – HSE
NHS England » National infection prevention and control manual (NIPCM) for England
Clinical Waste
Practice Responsibilities:
- Segregate waste correctly.
- Complete required waste audits.
- Maintain waste records.
- Ensure staff training.
Resources:
NHS England » Health Technical Memorandum 07-01: Safe and sustainable management of healthcare waste
GP practice responsibility when disposing of clinical waste
Classify different types of waste: your legal responsibilities – GOV.UK
Waste stream guide Poster for General Practice – Infection Prevention Control
Other Useful Resources and audit tools
IPC policies and governance resources.
A list of Audit Tools for General Practice – Infection Prevention Control
Policies – Infection Prevention Control
NHS England » National infection prevention and control
Products – Antimicrobial stewardship | Topic | NICE
Needlestick or sharps injuries – HSE
Leaflets to discuss with patients: Self-care Leaflet | RCGP Learning
Infection Control and Cleanliness Educational Podcasts and Videos – Wessex LMCs
Notifiable diseases for registered medical professionals poster- updated April 2025