Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Standards
Background
The Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Task Force
(HAITF) was established in 2003 by the Scottish Executive Health
Department, now the Scottish Government Health Directorates (SGHD),
and leads on a programme of HAI work in NHSScotland. As part of
this programme of work NHS Quality Improvement Scotland (now
Healthcare Improvement Scotland) reviewed its 2002 HAI
standards.
These standards are one component of the drive for a safer
NHSScotland, and complement the comprehensive HAI programme already
under way, including the work of the Scottish Patient Safety
Programme and Health Protection Scotland.
Infection control is everybody's business
The standards emphasise the need for all staff to be involved in
infection control, and that HAI initiatives are not solely the
responsibility of infection control teams. They aim to reiterate
that the role of key infection control staff is to support measures
to reduce HAI within their NHS board. They do this by
providing expert knowledge and guidance to enable each member of
staff to carry out their role in a way which contributes to the
overall aim to minimise HAIs.
Development of the standards
Work on the revision of the standards for HAI began in November
2006 with a scoping exercise to review current evidence relating to
HAI and define the topic areas of the standards. The associated
scoping report identified five key themes where Healthcare
Improvement Scotland could support quality improvement in
NHSScotland:
- compliance
- patient focus and public involvement
- prevention and control of infection
- environment and equipment, and
- education and training.
In February 2007, NHS Quality Improvement Scotland appointed a
project group to review the scoping report and use it to inform
development of standards under the five key themes. The group was
chaired by Mr Robin Creelman, SGHD HAI Task Force Public
Involvement and Communications Team chairman, and consisted of a
variety of healthcare professionals involved in the prevention and
control of infection and patient representation.
The draft standards were published in August 2007 and
consultation took place between August and October 2007. The draft
standards were revised in light of this consultation prior to the
publication of the final standards for HAI in March 2008.
A document detailing the project group's response to each
consultation comment is available from the standards development
unit upon request.
Next steps
NHS board compliance with these standards is now assessed by the
Healthcare Environment
Inspectorate.
See also
Equality & Diversity
Healthcare Improvement Scotland is committed to equality
and diversity. This document, and the research on which it is
based, have been assessed for any likely impact on the six equality
groups defined by age, gender, race/ethnicity, religion/faith,
disability and sexual orientation. For a summary of the equality
and diversity impact assessment, please see the EQIA Report
here.
Published Date: 1 March 2008
