This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New staff training to help tackle HAI
24/08/2004
Tough new standards making training on Healthcare
Associated Infection (HAI) mandatory for NHS staff were
announced today.
All workers joining the NHS will now be made aware of
the dangers of HAI and what they can do to prevent it.
The framework for mandatory induction training has been
produced with the help of NHS Education Scotland (NES) and
will be distributed across the NHS across Scotland.
Health Minister Malcolm Chisholm said:
"Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) is a major
international problem.
"In Scotland we started on this a year ahead of the rest
of the UK by setting up our HAI Task Force in January 2003.
It has already done a huge amount of work in the key area
of staff training and education.
"This framework will be a big help in the battle against
HAI.
"All new members of staff need to be aware of important
factors such as ways preventing the transmission of germs,
good hand hygiene, making sure equipment is clean, and safe
disposal of waste.
"To get levels of infection down, we must have clean
hands, clean hospitals, clean working practices. Simple
rules, old rules, but we have to re-learn them.
"The HAI Task Force has issued a Code of Practice - the
first in the UK - for managing HAI and also national
cleaning specifications so that people know what to do on
the wards. And we are feeding in advice for the planning of
new hospitals to minimise risk through better design.
"Infection levels are closely monitored. HAI is a key
feature of the annual of accountability reviews of
boards.
"However, the bottom line is that infection control is
everyone's responsibility - staff, patients and the public
at large.
"What we need in Scotland is a systematic cultural
change if we are to reduce our levels of HAI."
The document is entitled "A Framework for Mandatory
Induction Training in Healthcare Associated Infection for
Scotland" and is available at:
http://www.space4.me.uk/hai/Resources/mandatory%20training%2004.pdf
The HAI Task Force was formed in January 2003 in
response to the Ministerial HAI Action Plan, "Preventing
Infection Acquired While Receiving Healthcare", with the
following remit:
- Co-ordinate the development and implementation of
the HAI Action Plan;
- Review progress of its implementation across
NHSScotland;
- Monitor the levels of HAI and assess the impact on
them of control measures; and
- Report on progress to the Health Minister and to
the public at large through the CMO's Annual
Report.
Earlier this year, the HAI Taskforce published its Code
of Practice for Hospital Hygiene and National Cleaning
Services Specification.