The relentless pursuit of preventing infection

16 October 2023

The Clinical Excellence Commission’s Kathy Dempsey knows all too well that infection prevention and control should never drop off a health professional's radar.

"There’s no room for complacency when it comes to infections and ensuring they don't spread," Kathy said.

"The attention we give infection prevention and control needs to be constant and not limited to a week or when significant outbreaks occur. We must always remain vigilant with existing infections but also be prepared to face any emerging infectious diseases."

As the Clinical Excellence Commission's NSW Chief Infection Prevention and Control and HAI Advisor, Kathy collaborates with local teams to coordinate statewide efforts to ensure infection prevention and control are embedded practices across NSW public hospitals.

"One of the key focuses for us recently has been updated precautions around acute respiratory infections such as influenza, human metapneumovirus and respiratory syncytial virus. Reducing healthcare-associated infections remains a continual priority," Kathy said.

"While not as common, measles and other childhood infections become a concern when identified. And, of course, monitoring for novel infectious diseases around the world continues to be a priority."

Adhering to infection prevention strategies – such as vaccination, hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette – means we all have a part to play in infection prevention.

For Kathy, International Infection Prevention and Control Week, which runs from 15 to 21 October, is an opportunity to acknowledge the work of infection prevention and control practitioners (ICPs). The theme for the week is "Celebrating the fundamentals" and simply shedding light on the ICP profession is a fitting tribute.

"What people often do not realise is that – long before COVID-19 – ICPs have been working hard behind the scenes to keep the public safe. Yes, during the pandemic the work requirements were relentless, but that was not the beginning and end of the ICP contribution to high clinical quality and patient safety," Kathy said.

"Supporting ICPs in the health facility where you work will lead to robust processes to ensure infection prevention and control principles are implemented and practiced correctly."