Plain-English explanations of the technical terms and legislation used in this document.
- Antimicrobial stewardship
- Using antibiotics and similar medicines carefully and only when needed, so that infections do not become resistant to treatment.
- Aseptic Non Touch Technique (ANTT)
- A standard method of carrying out clinical procedures without contaminating the parts that must stay sterile.
- Aseptic technique
- A way of working that keeps germs away from vulnerable parts of the body during a clinical procedure.
- Blood-borne virus (BBV)
- An infection such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV that can be passed on through blood.
- Care bundle
- A small set of evidence-based steps that, when always done together, reduce the risk of a specific complication or infection.
- Care Quality Commission (CQC)
- The independent regulator of health and adult social care services in England.
- Chlorine-releasing agent
- A cleaning product that gives off chlorine to disinfect surfaces, used to deal with blood and body fluid spills.
- Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile)
- A spore-forming gut bacterium that can cause severe diarrhoea and spreads easily in healthcare settings.
- Cold chain
- Keeping vaccines and certain medicines within a safe temperature range from delivery to use.
- Colour-coded cleaning
- A system that gives cleaning cloths and equipment set colours for set areas, so germs are not carried from one place to another.
- Consignment note
- The legal paperwork that tracks hazardous or clinical waste from the site to its disposal.
- Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH)
- The law for safely managing chemicals and other hazardous substances at work.
- Decontamination
- The combined process of cleaning, disinfecting and, where needed, sterilising equipment so it is safe to reuse.
- Director of Infection Prevention and Control
- The senior, board-level person held accountable for an organisation's overall infection prevention and control arrangements.
- Donning and doffing
- Putting on and taking off personal protective equipment in the correct order to avoid contamination.
- Endoscope
- A flexible instrument with a camera used to look inside the body, which needs specialist cleaning between uses.
- Exposure-prone procedure
- A procedure where a worker's injured hands could come into contact with a patient's open tissues, carrying a risk of passing on a blood-borne virus.
- Five Moments for hand hygiene
- The five key points set by the World Health Organization at which staff should clean their hands to prevent infection.
- Fundamental standards
- The minimum standards of safety and quality below which care must never fall.
- Gram-negative bloodstream infection
- A serious infection of the blood caused by a group of bacteria that can be difficult to treat.
- Health and Safety (Sharps Instruments in Healthcare) Regulations 2013
- The law setting out how needles and other sharp instruments must be used and disposed of safely in healthcare.
- Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974
- The main law placing a general duty on employers to protect the health and safety of staff and others.
- Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014
- The regulations setting out the fundamental standards that registered care providers must meet.
- Health Protection (Notification) Regulations 2010
- The law requiring certain infectious diseases to be reported to the local authority's public health officer.
- Health Technical Memoranda (HTM)
- Official technical guidance on the design, maintenance and safe operation of healthcare facilities and equipment, including decontamination and waste.
- Healthcare-associated infection (HCAI)
- An infection that a person catches as a result of receiving healthcare rather than from their original illness.
- Hygiene Code
- The official code of practice that sets out how care providers must prevent and control infections to meet the law.
- Indwelling device
- A tube or line, such as a cannula or catheter, that stays in the body for a period and can be a route for infection.
- Infection prevention and control (IPC)
- The measures used to stop infection spreading between patients, staff and visitors.
- Infection Prevention and Control Lead (IPCL)
- The named person responsible for the day-to-day running and advice of an organisation's infection prevention and control.
- Line listing
- A simple table recording details of each case during an outbreak so that patterns can be identified.
- Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- A type of bacterium that resists many common antibiotics and can cause hard-to-treat infections.
- National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM)
- The official, evidence-based manual setting the standard for infection prevention and control practice in England.
- National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness
- The national framework that sets out expected cleaning standards and how cleanliness is monitored in healthcare settings.
- Notifiable infection
- A disease that the law requires to be reported to public health authorities so that spread can be controlled.
- Occupational health
- A service that looks after the health of staff at work, including immunisation and managing exposure to infection.
- Outbreak
- Two or more linked cases of the same infection, suggesting it is spreading within a setting.
- Pathogen
- A germ, such as a bacterium or virus, that can cause disease.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Items such as gloves, aprons and masks worn to protect against harm or infection.
- Proper officer
- The local authority official to whom certain infectious diseases must legally be reported.
- Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984
- The law providing powers to prevent and control the spread of infectious disease.
- Registered Manager
- The person registered with the regulator as responsible for the day-to-day running of a service.
- Registered Provider
- The organisation or individual legally registered with the regulator to deliver a regulated activity.
- Regulated activity
- A type of care or treatment the law requires a provider to register with the regulator to deliver.
- Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR)
- The law requiring certain workplace injuries, diseases and dangerous events to be reported to the Health and Safety Executive.
- Respiratory hygiene
- Covering coughs and sneezes and disposing of tissues safely to stop infection spreading through the air.
- Risk assessment
- A structured check identifying what could cause harm and what is being done to prevent it.
- Sharps
- Needles, blades and other items that can cut or puncture the skin.
- Single assessment framework
- The structure the regulator uses to judge a service, built around quality statements and five key questions (safe, effective, caring, responsive, well-led).
- Sluice
- A dedicated room or area used for the safe disposal of body fluids and the cleaning of related equipment.
- Standard Infection Control Precautions (SICPs)
- The basic infection prevention measures applied to everyone, every time, regardless of whether an infection is known.
- Surgical site infection
- An infection that develops in the part of the body where surgery has taken place.
- Transmission-Based Precautions (TBPs)
- Extra precautions added when standard ones are not enough to control a specific known or suspected infection.
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
- The national body responsible for protecting the public from infectious diseases and other health threats.
- World Health Organization
- The United Nations agency that sets international standards and guidance on health, including hand hygiene.