Hospital design teams must include IPCT members according to latest NICE guidance.

Infection prevention and control team (IPCT) members cannot be left out of design teams when it comes to hospital building, refurbishment and maintenance. This is according to a new NICE quality standard on Healthcare-associated infections published last month.

Five quality statements within the standard cover:

1. Surveillance
2. Collaborative action
3. Responsibilities of hospital staff
4. Planning, design and management of hospital facilities
5. Admission, discharge and transfer

Statement 4 covers the involvement of IPCT members in the planning, design and management of hospital facilities and requires hospitals to be able to evidence:

• protocols covering infection prevention and control in the built environment
• estate department procedures to engage infection prevention and control teams in new build and refurbishment projects as well as maintenance works
• building, refurbishment and maintenance plans and schedules of work that show the involvement of infection prevention and control teams
• records of completed building, refurbishment and maintenance works that show whether infection prevention and control requirements have been met

The quality standard also references Health Building Note 00-09 (Department of Health 2013) which advises planners to:

• Use finishes that are impervious, smooth and seamless, as far as practicable.
• Pay attention to whole-life costs, including the costs of cleaning and maintenance.
• Consider impervious dividers and screens between bed spaces.

The full quality standard can be found on the NICE website.