IPC Partnership with an acute NHS Trust for an external review of water hygiene

Background

In response to growing concerns around the risk of waterborne pathogens and compliance with national safety standards, an NHS acute Trust commissioned an independent external review of its water hygiene management approach from IPC Partners. The review aimed to understand the issues related to water hygiene in an affected hospital building, review the approaches taken to date, and inform the future strategy in order to improve mitigation of risks associated with Legionella and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, particularly in high-risk clinical areas.

The review

Two experts with extensive experience in managing water hygiene in acute NHS settings were selected by IPC Partners to lead the review. The experts reviewed a set of documents, including board reports, microbiology results, water risk assessments, and other related documents. The experts then undertook a half day site visit to speak with operational and clinical staff, and visit the affected hospital building.

The findings

The findings of the review reinforced the challenges associated with longstanding infrastructure limitations and identified areas for improvement in system monitoring and documentation. The Trust had implemented appropriate mitigation measures, including point-of-use filters and enhanced flushing, which appear to have been effective in preventing water-related infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Legionella species. The review recommended a programme of targeted remediation, with suggestions for improved temperature monitoring, updates of schematics, and auditing of filter usage. The review commended the Trust’s engagement with external experts, reflecting a transparent and proactive approach to managing water hygiene risks in a complex clinical environment.

The outcomes

IPC Partners issued a concise summary report, including a set of recommendations and proposed next steps. The experts used their experience to ensure that the recommendations were ambitious and yet practicable, rooted in what could feasibly be delivered given the fundamental challenges of the estate.

If your healthcare provider is interested in commissioning IPC Partners to review their clinical services, please get in touch for an introductory discussion.