An online directory of infectious diseases has been unveiled by University College London Hospital (UCLH) and the Whittington and North Middlesex Hospitals to help staff to recognise and treat infections.
The publication, entitled the Infection Control Manual, features a very large searchable directory of infectious diseases, along with instructions on how to recognise them, what specific action to take and the source and the route of transmission of the disease. It features topics popular in the media such as MRSA, SARS and avian flu, as well as less high profile infections.
Dr Geoff Scott, developer of the site and director of infection prevention and control at UCLH NHS Foundation Trust, said: "All trusts are required to produce a manual for staff to maintain their training in how to reduce infections. However, keeping them up-to-date and consistent across organisations is extremely difficult and time consuming. This online shared resource is the perfect way to provide the latest information with the minimum duplication of effort."
The site also includes a brief list of legal responsibilities of staff, along with instructions for handling and disposal of waste and equipment during an outbreak.
The manual itself started in 1989 from guidelines at UCLH and has been continually updated since then. A decision was taken to make the hardcopy version of the manual online at the end of 2003, where it will be maintained.
The site was timed to go live for National Infection Control Week, and will be rolled out for use in other hospitals in the North London area.
Margaret Bruce, chair of the North Central London Control of Infection Network, said: "The web-based manual is a very exciting development, which will be an additional aid in helping us to combat healthcare associated infections. As well as providing key information for staff quickly, using the same system will help us to improve training for junior doctors and agency nurses who move around hospitals in North Central London.
"All staff will be used to the same system and all our hospitals will be using the same products, such as identical coloured bags for their clinical waste. We hope that other hospitals in North Central London will soon be using this tool."
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