IP&C 2023 Preview
Getting back to basics with IP&C
One of Europe’s largest Infection Prevention and Control Conferences is set to take place in Birmingham at The National Conference Centre. The two-day event will bring together over 800 attendees each day to explore the latest initiatives from the IP&C Arena. In addition to the conference programme, the event will host workshops on best practice case studies and showcase the latest innovations aimed at preventing HCAIs.
Organised by Knowlex, Infection Prevention and Control (IP&C) 2023 will discuss key IP&C strategies in health and community settings – including effective hand hygiene approaches, the use of digital technology to monitor infection transmission and spread, surgical site surveillance, device related infection prevention practices, antibiotic stewardship and much more.
As we move into 2023, and are learning to live with COVID-19, it is time to refocus and get back to basics in implementing best practice in IP&C. As we restore elective surgery, there is an opportunity to tackle infection rates and education specifically around surgical site infections. In addition, antimicrobial stewardship will remain a core principle as the threat posed by antimicrobial resistance continues. As we move ever closer to a “whole health economy”, it is also important that we examine IP&C in community and mental health settings, as well as how better to control outbreaks.
Post-pandemic, our knowledge has
improved on how our surroundings – such as ventilation and air quality – affect the spread of airborne bacteria. However, we also need to consider other environmental factors, such as waterborne pathogens, to ensure our facilities are fit for purpose. A variety of leading experts will tackle many of these hot topics throughout the conference programme.
Antimicrobial resistance Some of the highlights of the conference include an insight into the National overprescribing review. Professor Tony Avery OBE, National clinical director for prescribing, will discuss the clinician’s perspective on what needs to happen in relation to the overprescribing of antibiotics including: long-term condition control (e.g. respiratory, diabetes, acne and cellulitis), the review of patients with recurrent infection (e.g. UTI, COPD and acne), and consideration of alternatives to antibiotics.
He will provide an overview of clinical decision rules, such as FeverPAIN, and diagnostic tests, such as pulse oximetry, to risk-assess patients and reduce prescribing to low-risk patients who are likely to have viral infections. He will also look at the evidence on the duration of prescribed antibiotics, as clinicians need to ensure the shortest and most effective course for their patients.
Continuing the discussion is Dr. Kieran Hand, AMR National pharmacy and prescribing clinical lead, NHS England and NHS Improvement, who will provide an insight into NHS England’s AMR Programme policy incentives and the support for optimising antimicrobial prescribing – such as CQUINs, for example. He will also outline the digital vision for supporting good prescribing, as well as highlighting the importance of workforce training and development.
Digital technology The value of digital technology will be further explored at IP&C 2023. Charles Lowe, chief executive officer, Digital Health & Care Alliance, will describe technology that was developed early in the COVID-19 pandemic that could tell a person if they had the disease before they felt ill. The technology for monitoring the spread of the virus will be examined in detail, specifically the geographical representations of spread vs local hospital capacity that played a major role in ensuring that appropriate resources were delivered to areas where significant outbreaks were anticipated. Finally, the presentation will discuss ways in which citizens can be alerted to the dangers of infection and the appropriate steps to take to minimise these.
Infections: old and new foes As the focus shifts from the pandemic to more familiar foes in the healthcare setting, Professor Mark Wilcox, the National clinical director AMR & IPC, NHS England, and lead on C. difficile, UKHSA,
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