Guidelines for professionals

Key National Guidelines on Preventing HCAI

General guidance on healthcare associated infection

• Clean, Safe Care [external link] - Reducing MRSA and other healthcare associated infections
• Health Act 2009 [external link] 23 February 2010
• The Health Act 2006: Code of Practice for the prevention and control of healthcare associated infection October 2006 [external link]
• Epic2: national evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections in NHS hospitals in England. J Hosp Infect. 2007; 65 (suppl 1)  [external link]
• The epic project: developing national evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare association infections phase 1: guidelines for preventing hospital-acquired infections [external link]
• Pellow CM, Pratt RJ, Loveday HP et al (2004) The epic project; updating the evidence for national evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare association infections in NHS hospital in England. [external link] A report with recommendations
• Infection Control Guidance for Care Homes. Dept Health/ICNA/Public Health Medical Environmental group, [external PDF] June 2006
• Ward V, Wilson J, Taylor L, Cookson B, Glynn A  Preventing hospital-acquired infection - Clinical guidelines PHLS 1997 ISBN 0 901144 41 X

Guidelines on decontamination of endoscopes:

• British Thoracic Society
• Department of health “Top ten tips”
• The British Society for Gastroenterology

Use National electronic Library of Infection (NeLI) to search for other healthcare associated infection and infection control guidelines and guidance

Guidelines and further information on specific topic areas:

• Acinetobacter
• Avian influenza
• Bloodborne viruses
• Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease (CJD) 
• Clostridium difficile
• Norovirus
• Pandemic influenza
• Staphylococcus aureus (including MRSA)
• Surgical site infection
• Tuberculosis