Wider Policy Context

In 2006, the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) published Changing the Culture: a regional action plan for the prevention and control of HCAIs in Northern Ireland. This action plan highlights that the prevention and control of HCAIs is a partnership initiative involving the Department, the Trusts, patients and the public.

It also reaffirms that “infection prevention and control is everyone’s responsibility”. Action on hand hygiene is identified as an area for action and, to support this, the DHSSPS has signed up to the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Patient Safety Challenge: Clean Care is Safer Care.

The National Patient Safety Agency also has close links with WHO and much of its material draws on the WHO guidelines on hand hygiene, in addition to the comprehensive research programme which NPSA has undertaken in England and Wales.

A summary of the key policy developments in Northern Ireland over the past two years follows. These can be used to reinforce the key message of the campaign, link it to your wider organisational goals and HCAI strategy, and secure support from senior management.