Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) is key to healthcare delivery and health promotion in the community, in primary care and in secondary and tertiary care. Sustainable IPC maximises value from IPC practice, in terms of prevention of the spread of infection, while minimising resource use. Resources used in healthcare include environmental resources, financial resources, staff time and patient and carer time.
This network exists to share examples of good practice in improving the sustainability of IPC practice. It also facilitates networking between IPC professionals to enable quality improvement, research and leadership to promote sustainable IPC.
The purpose of this network is to enable sharing of good practice and networking between those delivering IPC in community, primary or secondary care to improve the sustainability of IPC practice.
How we started
In 2024, the Infection Prevention Society and the Healthcare Infection Society have stated their commitments to promoting planetary health and environmental sustainability. The British Infection Association and British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy have staff dedicated to working on environmental sustainability. Building on this momentum, members of these societies have collaborated to found this network to support IPC colleagues to include both the patient and the planet in the risk assessment when delivering IPC practice, and to share successful projects innovations that maintain patient safety in a sustainable way.
Networks goals
- Develop and share ‘how to guides’ for at least 2 quality improvement projects in SusIPC – 1 year
- Calculate and share carbon savings for 2 QIPs.. – 2 years
- ADVOCACY – see change in published guidelines to highlight that PPE use must be rational balancing risks, including of infection and of overuse, for example NHSE guidelines
- To have an active IPC SusNet network with at least 8 posts a month
Key resources
Gloves off
Intensive Care Society webpage
Net Zero NHS
Greener Surgery Report
IPS Sustainability webpage
Network Co-lead(s)
Holly Slyne