Posted on: 26 April 2023
CNWL held its Infection Prevention and Control Conference at the beautiful Chelsea Old Town Hall on Tuesday 26 April.
With a theme of Mind, Body and Microbes Beyond Covid and boasting a selection of renowned speakers, the event allowed healthcare professionals to explore what is next for the NHS when it comes to infection prevention and control (IPC).
CNWL’s Head Nurse, Maria O’Brien opened the day by touching on CNWL’s response to Covid-19 and reiterating how the pandemic showed us all the importance of good IPC practice.
We then heard from Dr Giovanni Satta and Dr Trupti Patel, who discussed the increased issue of bacterial resistance to antibiotics.
Dr Patel said: “There has been minimal discovery and approval of new drugs over the past five decades and, because we are seeing more and more immunocompromised hosts, we need to find alternate treatments.”
Dorothy Nyarai Chakani, who has worked as an IPC Nurse for 14 years across a wide range of healthcare settings, spoke about the role of Infection Prevention and Control Link Practitioners and reducing Healthcare Access Infections, which is where patients pick up an infection from inside the health system.
“When you are a Link Practitioner, you know what is going on in your environment,” she said. “You know the service users, you know the intricacies. That’s more than a visiting IPC nurse.”
“Every ward has different types of patients so Link Practitioners will find it much easier than the IPC nurse to manage infections.
“This is why the IPC Link Practitioners are so important. They are a necessity not a luxury.”
After teas and coffees, Peter Hoffman, Specialist Editor for the Journal of Hospital Infection and recently retired Consultant Clinical Scientist, talked about environmental contamination.
“We live in a world of microbes,” he said. “They are on us, in us and all around us.”
He explored how our environment is all connected, for example, through sewage systems, and explained how these systems spread bacteria that cause infection.
It is for this reason that healthcare professionals need to be extra careful when using sinks and showers, etc. Taps should not flow directly into the drain to reduce splashing and shower seats should be used sparingly as they harbour potentially harmful bacteria.
We then heard from Lucy Jeeves, Senior IPC Specialist Nurse for Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS.
She raised awareness of how our IPC measures can actual have a negative impact of service users’ mental health.
For example, the PPE used by healthcare professionals can cause a disconnect between clinician and patient. Also, separating infectious patients might be necessary but it can exacerbate mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.
She advised to spend a little more time getting to know patients.
“The person sat in front of you is just a human who needs and wants your care. Listen to them. Get to know them.”
Dr Jon Otter, Director of IPC at Guy and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, then explored how IPC practice has changed since Covid and what it might look like in the future.
He touched on a theme that cropped up throughout the day: the increasing challenge of antimicrobial resistance, and spoke about his IPC priorities for the NHS over the next five years or so.
These included:
- Promoting antimicrobial stewardship
- Embedding digital systems to enhance our clinical services
- Preventing Gram-negative bloodstream infection
- Preventing SSI
- Preventing the transmissions of SARS-Cov-2 in our hospitals
Attendees then enjoyed a wellbeing session led by Peter Hemler, Mindfulness Practitioner at Keeping Well North West London.
He allowed the audience to pause and take a few moments to breath and check in with themselves.
Finally, we were able to celebrate the good work of our teams with an awards ceremony. A list of the categories and winners can be found below.
Making a Difference
Emma Kearney – Jameson
Basanti Patel – Goodall
Claire McEnteggart – Diggory
Outstanding IPC Link Practitioner
Angela Hogarth – Jameson
Daniel Cross – Goodall
Donna Silver – Diggory
Team of the Year
3 Beatrice Place – Jameson
Collingham Child & Family Centre – Goodall
Cherrywood Mental Health Rehabilitation Unit – Diggory
