Purpose
The annual Infection Prevention Control (IPC) statement is produced each year in accordance with the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008, Code of Practice on the Prevention and Control of Infections and related guidance. The report is published on Price’s Mill Surgery’s website and includes the following summary
- Any infection or transmission incidents and any action taken (these will have been reported in accordance with the Practice’s ‘Learning Event’ procedures).
- Details of any infection control audits undertaken, and subsequent actions completed (if applicable).
- Details of any risk assessments completed for the prevention and control of infection.
- Details of staff training.
- Any review and update of policies, procedures, and guidelines relating to infection prevention and control.
Infection prevention and control (IPC) lead
The Lead for Infection Prevention and Control at Price’s Mill Surgery is Lead Nurse Liesl Smith, who started in role in November 2022.
The IPC lead is supported by Dr Andrew Sampson, Managing Partner.
Infection transmission incidents (significant events).
Significant events involve both examples of ‘good’ and ‘poor’ practice.
All significant events are reviewed and discussed at our regular practice meetings, attended by GPs and Practice Nurses, as well as at our dedicated practice learning events meetings, which are held four times each year.
Whenever a significant event occurs, a structured significant event form is completed and reviewed. The event is then discussed at one of these meetings to encourage reflection, identify learning opportunities, and implement any necessary improvements to enhance patient care and Practice processes.
This process helps promote continuous learning, supports quality improvement, and ensures that lessons learned are shared across the Practice Team.
In the past year there have been ‘zero’ learning events raised that have related to infection control. There have also been ‘zero’ complaints regarding cleanliness.
Infection prevention audit and actions
The annual Infection prevention audit was completed on 19th March 2026 and resulted in the following actions:
- Review of bins (clinical and non-clinical) used across the Practice is ongoing. We need to understand how each user within the Practice uses the waste bins so that the correct bins can be added to limit waste.
- We introduced ‘Know Your Bins’ in June 2024, educating Practice Staff on correct waste streams including tiger waste. This has reduced the cost of our waste to under £500. A video has been made and presented to the Southwest Region on tiger waste, and Prices Mill Surgery were asked to participate in this as a case study. This project is due to be presented at the Annual IPC Conference in September 2026.
- As a Practice, we have been awarded the Green Impact Gold Award, which signifies a reduction in our carbon footprint by promoting low-carbon, sustainable care.
- We have further reviewed the use of sharp bins. We are now rotating the sharps bins 4 monthly from areas of low usage to high, to minimise waste and maximise capacity.
- We have reduced the use of couch roll during clinical consultations, only using it if an intimate examination is to take place. For example, a dressing, smear or coil change.
- All staff have undergone Annual Infection Prevention Training at the July 2026 PLT (Protected Learning Time), including a hand-washing assessment and spills kit training (this explains correct procedure for dealing with and cleaning surfaces/equipment as a result of there being any vomit/faeces/blood spills within the Practice).
- We undertake regular audits of hand gels, pillows, sharps bins and curtains as part of our commitment to infection prevention and patient safety. These audits are currently carried out every four months. National guidance on sharps bin disposal has changed, and sharps bins are now replaced when they reach the fill line (approximately three-quarters full), rather than at fixed three-month intervals. However, to maintain a safe and practical working environment, the Practice has agreed to rotate and replace sharps bins approximately every four to five months, even where they have not reached capacity. This approach helps ensure that clinical areas remain safe, clean and well maintained for both patients and staff.
- The Practice has recently had extensive building work completed, resulting in the addition of two consulting rooms and a triage room. These rooms were not completed at the time of the audit so have not been included.
- All treatment and consulting rooms are equipped with tiger bags for the safe disposal of non-infectious clinical waste. The triage room is specifically equipped with an orange bag for the disposal of infectious clinical waste. If a patient is suspected or confirmed to have an infectious condition requiring examination the triage room will be used whenever appropriate. This helps ensure that infectious waste is managed safely and in line with infection prevention and control procedures, protecting both patients and staff.
- The audit forms for the room checks have been updated to include:
- The posters each room should have visible and/or available, for example, anaphylaxis and basic life support.
- What bins are present.
- All Reception Staff that handle patient samples like urine and sputum are in the process of having a course of Hepatitis B vaccines to protect them from any infection risk.
Risk assessments
Risk assessments are completed to identify and minimise potential risks so far as is reasonably practicable. They also help establish best practice, ensuring consistent and safe procedures are followed across the Practice.
In the last year the following risk assessments were carried out/reviewed:
- Curtain replacements
- Sharps bin risk
- Needle stick injury
- We have a dedicated cleaner from Minster Cleaning who cleans surfaces and door handles daily; reducing the risk of infection transmission.
Training
On appointment, all Price’s Mill Surgery Staff receive IPC induction training. Following this, all staff are required to complete annual refresher training; the level of which is dependent on the staff member’s role and responsibilities.
Due to changes following the amalgamation of Bristol and Gloucestershire NHS services, the Primary Care IPC Lead employed by the ICB has left their role. Consequently, the Practice IPC Lead has not attended the usual annual IPC update, as no local IPC Conference has been held during the past year.
Policies and procedures
All policies are amended on an ongoing basis as per current advice, guidance, and legislation changes.
The Practice’s Infection, Prevention and Control Policy is reviewed annually by the Lead Practice Nurse and Managing Partner.
Responsibility
At Price’s Mill Surgery, infection prevention and control is regarded as a key priority, and we are committed to maintaining high standards across all areas of practice. All staff members are responsible for familiarising themselves with this statement and understanding their individual roles and responsibilities in ensuring effective infection prevention and control measures are implemented and maintained.
Review
The IPC lead is responsible for reviewing and producing the annual statement.
Liesl Smith
Lead Practice Nurse
September 2026