Break the Chain of Infection

Keeping patients safe from infection is everyone’s responsibility. Remember these 10 ways to protect patients:

1. Wash or clean your hands before and after you provide care to a patient.
2. Use personal protective equipment the right way.
3. Get your jabs - including your annual flu jab - and make sure everyone in your family does too.
4. Follow the rules of isolation for the patient’s protection, your protection, and everyone else’s protection.
5. Follow safe injection practices - remember One needle, One syringe, Only one time.
6. Make patient identification a priority: right drug, right time, right dose.
7. Keep the room and equipment clean.
8. Know when antibiotics are appropriate . . . and when they are NOT.
9. What you wear matters! Make sure your attire does not become a source of infection.
10. Know about infection preventionists.

Useful links

Patient Safety and Clinical Effectiveness

Infection Prevention and Control

The CCG infection prevention manual

Advice for patients about Norovirus

Catch it, Bin it, Kill it campaign

Use of antibiotics