The first ever Code of Practice for the Management of Hygiene and HAI has been developed by the HAI Taskforce and issued today for consultation.

The Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm has asked that it be implemented as interim guidance from today.

It outlines what is expected from staff working throughout NHSScotland at ward level, in clinical settings, supervisory level and senior management.

It includes sections on hygiene and infection control best practice, ensuring staff are fully trained in relevant HAI issues, and creating a safe and clean environment for treatment.

Dr Gabby Phillips, medical microbiology consultant at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee said, “I look forward to seeing this document.

“Tayside University Hospitals already has an extensive action plan in place to control and prevent HAIs, but we will certainly be looking at this new information to see if there are any other areas we need to address.”

Launching the code, Mr Chisholm said, “Clean hospitals and the highest standards of infection control are an absolute priority for me, the Executive and NHSScotland because the public rightly expects high quality care in clean, safe hospitals.

“This code of practice contains specific guidance on staff education, compliance management, cleaning, basic ward equipment, patient information and prevention and control of infection guidance.

“It should be disseminated to all staff to ensure everyone has a basic knowledge of managing HAI.

“I am pleased that all staff groups have been involved in the creation of the code.

“This is not a top down initiative. It is a code created by NHSScotland for NHSScotland.

“It has taken best practice from across the service with the aim of communicating it to staff so that best practice can become common practice.

“We have also established a patient involvement communication team to help ensure the public are involved in implementation, monitoring and reviewing of all the work associated with the taskforce, including compliance with the code of practice.

“Cultural change is the objective and not a quick fix.

“Over time, I want to see a fundamental change in the way we do things in Scotland’s hospitals and that fundamental change is relevant to everyone because prevention and control of infection and hygiene, particularly hand washing, is everyone’s responsibility.

“Everyone has a duty of care to patients, but also to themselves and their colleagues.”

An estimate of the cost of HAI in Scotland is £180 million a year or 380,000 bed days lost.

A major programme of work to improve the prevention and control of HAI was laid out in the Executive's Action Plan on HAI, published in October 2002.