It goes without saying that the past 18 months have shown us a new, different world and no other world has been affected more than healthcare.
Care 4 Quality. understands the importance of the effects of COVID-19 and infection control on healthcare organisations and the unprecedented pressure the sector is under. As part of our offering, we want to help healthcare facilities who could face a number of issues within the current climate and beyond.
What Is the CQC’s Role in Infection Control?
Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 states that all healthcare settings must utilise the procedure, ‘control of infection’, in their organisation to prevent the spread of disease.
The CQC has infection control as one of their inspection priorities, particularly in regards to care homes. It was introduced to secure good practice and secure that where risks to patients exist, improvements and regulatory actions are taken. The CQC reported in October of last year, that they had already completed over 400 Infection Prevention Control inspections in the adult social care sector.
Within this, the CQC publish their judgements in 8 areas:
- Visitors
- Shielding
- Admission
- Use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Testing
- Premises
- Staffing
- Policies.
The inspections undertaken by the CQC are dependent on the size and scope of your service. The inspector will utilise the KLOEs to gather the information they require on infection control within your service in order to make a clear judgement.
For each of the 8 areas listed above, the CQC will judge whether they are assured, somewhat assured or not assured by what they have identified with your provider. The somewhat assured judgement is used when minor issues have been identified, but no regulatory action has been taken out.
If your organisation has been judged to be ‘not assured’ within the infection control inspection, you are given the usual 28 days to challenge any inaccuracies within the report before it is published by the inspectorate. As always, Care 4 Quality. is here to help you throughout this process.
What Should You Do?
There has never been a more vital time to ensure that your system of Infection Prevention and Control is correct and up-to-date.
Infection Prevention and Control is an integral part of any healthcare organisation as it protects patients, clients and any personnel from falling ill. It also and arguably most importantly, protects anyone from preventing the spread of infectious diseases throughout your setting.
How Can Care 4 Quality. Help You?
The Care 4 Quality. team can provide detailed Infection Control Advice and Support, so you and your employees have a good understanding on the importance of infection control and how to utilise it within your business.
Additionally, our policies team can ensure that your organisation’s policies and procedures are updated and in line with relevant regulations – making sure that you have the correct documentation in place for best practice and future compliance.
To find out more about how Care 4 Quality. can help you with Infection Control Support, or to learn more about how we can support you with CQC registration, contact us today.
