With infection control hitting the headlines for all the wrong reasons and consumers demanding action, its not surprising that vet practices are now reviewing their hygiene procedures. It may not be as sexy as pioneering new healthcare techniques, but this unsung area of practice management is now rapidly moving up the agenda.

Newnham Court, a large mixed hospital practice, carrying out a wide range of work, recently went through the process of introducing a new hygiene regime. Based in Maidstone, Kent, the practice has three small animal partners, two large animal partners, three assistants in each area and an additional two part time small animal vets. It employs thirteen nursing staff, some are qualified, training or in auxiliary posts, plus a separate emergency team and twelve support staff.

Infection control has always been a key part of our daily routine, especially as we must meet the standards required by the RCVS to achieve hospital status, says Martin Smith, partner at Newnham Court. Nonetheless, mounting media attention and recent RCVS edict for all Tier Three hospital status practices to have a policy for MRSA prevention and control focused our minds on taking a fresh look at the way we were doing things. There is always room for improvement and we wanted to ensure we were providing the maximum protection for both clients and staff from potential zoonotic conditions.

Martin continues, As a first step, we put together a project team consisting of the partners and the head of our nursing team, Rita Johnson. Together, we reviewed the latest information on the internet, consulted the BSAVA and veterinary journals and also talked to a number of infection control providers.

We then developed a new set of protocols which we felt would improve our theatre regime, encourage intense barrier nursing and introduce more stringent personal hygiene controls for patients, staff and clients.

We also selected a new supplier of infection control products, NewGenn Research Ltd. Our decision to choose NewGenn was made after a comprehensive review against other suppliers. We compared level and breadth of protection provided, compatibility with our staff, some of whom suffer from allergies and sensitive skin, cost per day, aroma and usability. Most importantly, we were also impressed by NewGenns focus on training, exemplified by the NewGenn Infection Control System NICS training programme. Education is so critical and we plan to put all our staff through this course over the coming months.

Examples of Newnham Courts new regime include the wearing of full theatre attire, hats, masks, gowns, gloves and overshoes for every operation. This is a more rigorous policy than had previously existed. For instance, the practice had never used overshoes before except in isolation cases so this has been a challenge but, generally, staff are adapting well. It has also imposed a limit on the number of theatre personnel involved during surgery.

Additional procedures introduced as part of the new regime include strict hand cleaning between patients and the wearing of gloves when inserting intravenous catheters. The practice is also cleaned several times a day and the use of hand disinfectants and wet wipes for cleansing non immersible equipment and surfaces between patients has been incorporated, along with spray solutions for the tables and regular mopping of the floors, and kennel cleansing.

All new protocols take time to implement and compliance from all staff involved is the key issue, according to Martin Smith. To help bring staff up to speed, we prepared a detailed letter, which explained the changes we wanted to make and why. We also gave everyone a copy of the policy. While there was some initial grumbling, generally our staff understood the need for tighter controls for patient and individual protection. Theyve embraced the regime and weve had full cooperation.

So, with the new policies in place, the challenge for the Newnham Court now is to ensure compliance to maintain a rigorous enforcement of the new protocols, while keeping abreast of new developments in infection control. Based on its experience, Martin suggests the following Top Tips for other practices considering an overhaul of their hygiene procedures.

Dont panic

Think about what you already do. Wholesale change is probably not required its more a question of building on what you already have in place

Research the topic ensure you and your project team build a strong knowledge of the latest thinking

Set up a working protocol that you can achieve without too much difficulty with staff

Work collaboratively with your staff to allow them time to adapt and ensure they understand the reasons for the change and buy in to your efforts

Keep up to date with MRSA issues and above all keep smiling