Understanding the implications of NICE guidance on infection control

Following the publication of Getting Ahead of the Curve (Department of Health, 2001), greater emphasis has been placed on infection control in primary and community care (called community care throughout this article). For years, guidance on reducing the incidence of preventable health care-associated infections in community care has been based on standards developed for acute care settings. But in many cases, practices common in acute care are not directly transferable to the community. Also, shorter hospital stays mean care previously provided in hospital is increasingly carried out in the community.