In brief
Infection prevention is a system, not a single wipe or pair of gloves. Build safer practice with these ten connected controls.
In this article
- 1. Assess risk before the appointment
- 2. Make hand hygiene easy to do correctly
- 3. Use PPE based on risk
- 4. Protect the clean field
- 5. Manage single-use and reusable equipment correctly
- 6. Control sharps at the point of use
Infection prevention is not one action performed just before a procedure. It is a system that begins with the environment and continues through patient assessment, hand hygiene, equipment, waste, documentation and review.
NHS England’s standard infection control precautions are designed for all staff, all care settings and all patients, whether infection is known or not. Although the legal and regulatory framework varies between services, the underlying principle is transferable: assume that blood, body fluids, non-intact skin, mucous membranes and contaminated equipment can transmit infection, then control the risk consistently.
1. Assess risk before the appointment
Screen for symptoms or conditions that may affect safe treatment, and decide whether the procedure should continue, be modified or be postponed. Consider the procedure, the site, the likelihood of exposure, the patient’s vulnerability and the practitioner’s competence.
2. Make hand hygiene easy to do correctly
Facilities should be accessible, stocked and used only for their intended purpose. Clean hands before touching a patient, before a clean or aseptic task, after body-fluid exposure risk, after touching the patient and after touching the patient’s surroundings. Clean hands before putting on and after removing gloves.
3. Use PPE based on risk
Gloves are appropriate when contact with blood, body fluids, non-intact skin or mucous membranes is anticipated. They must be changed between patients and tasks and must never be washed or disinfected for reuse. Eye, face or clothing protection may be needed where splashing is possible. More PPE is not automatically safer; correct selection, fit, removal and disposal matter.
4. Protect the clean field
Separate clean supplies from used items. Prepare only what is needed, check packaging and expiry dates, and avoid reaching over exposed sterile or clean equipment. Mobile phones, pens, door handles and keyboards can quietly break an otherwise careful technique.
5. Manage single-use and reusable equipment correctly
Use single-use items once and discard them into the correct waste stream. Reusable equipment requires a documented cleaning or decontamination process that follows the manufacturer’s instructions and matches the level of risk. If an item cannot be safely decontaminated, it should not move from one patient to another.
6. Control sharps at the point of use
Choose safer sharps where appropriate, place the container within reach and dispose of the device immediately after use. Do not recap, bend or pass an exposed needle unnecessarily. Staff must know the immediate first-aid, reporting and occupational-health pathway for a needlestick or splash exposure.
7. Clean the environment between patients
Use an agreed schedule and suitable products for couches, trolleys, touch points and reusable equipment. Follow required contact times; wiping a product away immediately may prevent it from working as intended. Deal with blood or body-fluid spills using a documented procedure and the correct protective equipment.
8. Segregate waste correctly
Clinical, medicinal, sharps, offensive and domestic waste have different routes. Containers should be correctly assembled, labelled, located, closed and collected. Overfilled sharps bins and unsegregated waste expose staff, cleaners, patients and waste handlers to avoidable risk.
9. Record products, devices and incidents
Good records support traceability and learning. Record what was used, batch or device information where required, the treatment site, practitioner, aftercare and any unexpected event. Report incidents and near misses through the correct process rather than treating them as private mistakes.
10. Monitor the system
Audit hand-hygiene facilities, cleaning records, stock rotation, sharps, waste, staff training and incident trends. A policy is only useful if the team can follow it in the actual room with the actual equipment available.
Training should connect knowledge to behaviour
Learners need to understand why a control exists, practise it under realistic conditions and receive feedback. Infection prevention should be integrated into every clinical skill, not confined to one introductory slide.
Explore CFMSR’s clinical skills and aesthetics courses for practical training in London. Always follow the policies, regulations and professional standards that apply to your role and setting.
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