Policy relevant to HAI monitoring and prevention is based on the National infection control guidelines (External link) (external website). WA Health Operational Directives and Information Circulars augment these by providing information specific to the WA setting.

The Clinical Practice Improvement Program (CPI) of SQuIRe (Safety and Quality Investment for Reform) is administered by the Office of Safety and Quality in Healthcare. Three specific HAI prevention targets are included in the CPI program: surgical site infection prevention; central venous catheter bloodstream infection prevention; and hand hygiene promotion. Detailed information is available at the Office of Safety and Quality in Healthcare  (external website).

The Healthcare Associated Infection Program being implemented by the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare (ACSQHC) (external website) aims to achieve a measurable reduction in Healthcare Associated Infection. Building on facility and jurisdictional initiatives, the program focus is to have a national and systematic approach to infection prevention, hand hygiene, surveillance of health care associated infections, and antimicrobial resistance including antibiotic stewardship.

See ACSQHC’s Healthcare Associated Infection Program   for more details (external site)

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Infection prevention and control operational directives and circulars

CJD

OD 0134/08 Creutzfeldt-jakob disease (CJD) screening, risk assessment and management

OP 1834/04 Deferral of blood donation from people who have been in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1996

HCWs

OP 1800/04 Guidelines for healthcare workers with herpes lesions

OD 0091/07 Management of occupational exposure to blood and body fluids in the healthcare setting

OP 2024/06 Policy for healthcare workers and mortuary staff handling dead bodies

OD 0092/07 Policy for healthcare workers with blood-borne virus infections (External link)

Infection Prevention

OD 0263/10 Hand Hygiene in Western Australian Hospitals (External link)

OP 2039/06 Standard and additional infection control precautions

OP 2023/06 Microbiological air sampling In operating theatres

OD 0197/09 Healthcare - Associated infection surveillance in Western Australia

OD 0294/10 Infection prevention and control of Influenza-like illness in Western Australian healthcare facilities (External link)


MRSA

OP 1922/05 Control of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and epidemic MRSA (EMRSA) in hospitals
 
OP 1854/04 Guidelines for the management of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in residential care facilities

OD 0079/11 Community-associated methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) that are of public health significance in Western Australia (External link)

Obstetrics and Newborns

OP 1739/04 Reprocessing of infant feeding equipment in Health Care facilities

OP 1867/04 Management of infants at risk of early onset group B streptococcal disease (GBS)

OP 1866/04 Prevention of early onset group B streptococcal disease (GBS) in neonates and identification of mothers who are group B streptococcal carriers

OD 0064/07 Ante-natal testing for sexually transmissable infections and blood-borne viruses (External link)

 

Sterilisation

Under review

VRE

OD 0358/12 Infection prevention and control of vancomycin-resistant enterococci in Western Australian acute care healthcare facilities (External link)

OP 1802/04 Guidelines for the management of residents with vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) in residential care facilities