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Infection control guidance

  • Last modified date:
    2 October 2008

Pandemic influenza: guidance for infection control in hospitals and primary care settings

Published: 15 April 2008

This guidance document replaces the infection control guidance published in October 2005. The changes and amendments in this edition are detailed on page 4 and include updated advice on aerosol-generating procedures. This advice takes into consideration and addresses the categorisation of such procedures in the recently published interim guidance from the World Health Organization on 'Infection prevention and control of epidemic- and pandemic-prone acute respiratory diseases in health care' (June 2007).

Infection control training material

Published: 15 April 2007

A range of infection control training materials has been produced, including a summary of the guidance for infection control in healthcare settings during an influenza pandemic, posters on the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE), and a short training video (added 17 October 2007).

Infection control guidance for non-NHS sectors

Infection control guidance in the event of a flu pandemic is now available for some non-NHS sectors.

The Health Protection Agency (HPA) and the Department of Health (DH) have worked with various organisations to develop guidance for the following: funeral directors, the hospitality industry, fire and rescue services, cleaning and refuse staff and the police.

Each of the guidance has standard text, which explains what pandemic flu is, how it is spread and how you can protect yourself and others from it. It then addresses issues relevant to the particular sector. For example, the guidance for the hospitality industry includes sections for hotel managers on decontaminating hotel rooms and the advice to give to guests.

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