Scotland has published and new prevention and control strategy, which covers both health and social care settings, becoming the first nation in the UK to publish an integrated strategy.

‘An Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Strategy for Scotland: Vision and Priority Statements’ aims to minimise preventable infection for everyone who accesses, uses or provides health and social care.

Healthcare-associated infections currently account for an estimated 7,500 incidents across NHS Scotland each year, at an estimated annual cost of £46.4 million.

It is estimated that reducing healthcare-associated infection incidences by 10 per cent could free up 5,800 bed-days annually and create capacity to treat around 1,700 additional elective patients.

The strategy sets out eight priority areas, including strengthened governance and leadership, proactive national and local IPC programmes, improved data and surveillance, and expanded education, training and career development for the health and social care workforce.

This will be followed by a series of multi-year action plans to deliver the vision in practice.

Care home staff will have better training on infection control practices and there will be improved data and surveillance to catch and stop the spread of infection earlier in hospitals.

Chief Nursing Officer for Scotland, Professor Aisha Holloway said: "Infection prevention and control is fundamental to safe, high-quality care. Every day across Scotland we see how effective IPC processes and practice reduces avoidable harm, protects patients, service users and staff, and builds trust in the health and social care services that we all rely on.  

“We do not underestimate the scale of the challenge — health and social care-associated infections continue to cause significant harm, in both hospital and community settings.  

“This strategy responds to that reality with a system-wide approach. The experience and insight of the health and social care workforce across Scotland will be central to shaping the action plans that bring this strategy to life."