Blog Summary

Why Is Infection Prevention and Control Important in Health and Social Care?

Health care
 Social Care
 Infection prevention
 Care Courses

06 Aug, 2026

Learn for Care Training Team

Infection prevention and control, often shortened to IPC, is the collection of practices used to prevent infections and reduce their spread.

These practices include:

a) Cleaning hands correctly
b) Using personal protective equipment when required
c) Cleaning shared equipment
d) Handling laundry safely
e) Disposing of waste correctly
f) Following respiratory hygiene
g) Reporting symptoms and infection concerns
h) Following additional precautions during an outbreak

Good infection control protects the person receiving care, the worker providing it and everyone else who enters the care environment.

Government guidance describes preventing and reducing the transmission of infectious diseases as essential for helping people who use adult social care services to stay healthy.

1. Why Is Infection Prevention and Control Important?

People receiving care may be more likely to become seriously unwell from an infection.

This can be because of their age, an existing health condition, a disability, reduced immunity or medical treatment. Something that causes mild symptoms in one person may have a much greater effect on someone who is already vulnerable.

Infection control is therefore important because it can:

a) Protect people receiving care
b) Protect care workers and their families
c) Reduce outbreaks in care settings
d) Prevent avoidable hospital admissions
e) Reduce staff sickness and absence
f) Support safe and dignified care
g)Help limit the spread of treatment-resistant organisms

In 2026, the UK Health Security Agency published additional guidance for adult social care settings on multidrug-resistant organisms. These are organisms that do not respond properly to some commonly used treatments, making infections more difficult to treat.

This is another reason why preventing infection is so important. Once a difficult-to-treat infection begins spreading, controlling it may be far harder than preventing it in the first place.

2) How Do Infections Spread in Care Settings?

For an infection to spread, germs need a way to move from one place or person to another.

They may spread through:

a) Direct contact

This can happen when a worker has physical contact with an infected person, bodily fluid or affected area of skin.

b) Indirect contact

Germs may remain on frequently touched objects such as:

1) Door handles
2) Bed rails
3) Mobility equipment
4) Remote controls
5) Toilets
6) Hoists
7) Blood-pressure equipment
8) Phones and tablets

A person can pick up the germs by touching the contaminated surface and then touching their face, food or another person.

c) Droplets and respiratory particles

Coughing, sneezing and some close-contact activities can spread respiratory infections.

d) Contaminated food or water

Food that is stored, prepared or served incorrectly can allow harmful bacteria to grow or spread.

e) Blood and bodily fluids

Blood, urine, vomit, faeces and other bodily fluids may carry infection. Workers must follow their organisation’s procedures when there is a risk of exposure.

f) Hand Hygiene: One of the Most Important Precautions

Hands are one of the easiest ways for germs to move around a care setting.

A worker may not see anything on their hands but can still transfer microorganisms between a person, an item of equipment and another surface.

Care workers should clean their hands at the appropriate times, including:

a) Before and after providing personal care
b) Before preparing or serving food
c) Before handling medication
d) After contact with bodily fluids
e) After removing gloves
f) After using the toilet
g) After coughing, sneezing or blowing their nose
h) When moving between different care activities

It is also important to use the correct method. Quickly placing hands under running water is not enough.

All areas should be cleaned, including between the fingers, around the thumbs, fingertips, wrists and backs of the hands.

3) Do Gloves Replace Handwashing?

No. Wearing gloves does not replace hand hygiene.

Gloves may develop small tears, and hands can become contaminated while the gloves are being removed. Workers should therefore clean their hands before putting gloves on when required and again after removing them.

Gloves should also be changed between different tasks and between different people.

Wearing the same gloves for several activities can spread contamination rather than prevent it.

i) Using Personal Protective Equipment Correctly

Personal protective equipment may include:

1) Disposable gloves
2) Disposable aprons
3) Fluid-resistant masks
4) Eye or face protection
5) Other specialist protection identified through risk assessment

The type of PPE required depends on the task and the possible exposure.

Workers should not wear PPE automatically without considering the situation. They should follow their employer’s infection-control policy, the person’s care plan and any current public-health guidance.

PPE should be put on, removed and disposed of correctly. Incorrect removal can transfer contamination onto the worker’s hands, clothes or surroundings.

ii) Cleaning Shared Equipment

Shared equipment can move infection between people if it is not cleaned properly.

For example, a worker may use a blood-pressure monitor for one person and then take it directly to another room. If the equipment has not been cleaned according to the manufacturer’s instructions and workplace procedure, germs may travel with it.

Workers should know:

i) Who is responsible for cleaning each item
ii)  Which cleaning product should be used
iii) How often the item must be cleaned
iv) Whether it must be cleaned between every use
v) How to record that cleaning has been completed
vi) What to do if equipment is damaged or cannot be cleaned properly

Cleaning instructions should always take account of the manufacturer’s guidance. Using the wrong chemical may damage the equipment or make it unsafe.

iii) Safe Handling of Laundry

Used clothing, towels and bedding may be contaminated even when they do not look dirty.

Laundry should be handled carefully and placed into the correct bag or container. Workers should avoid shaking it because this can spread particles into the surrounding area.

Clean laundry should be stored separately from used laundry.

Where an item is heavily contaminated, the worker should follow the person’s care plan and the organisation’s infection-control procedure.

iv) Safe Waste Disposal

Different types of waste may require different disposal arrangements.

Workers should know how to separate:

1) General household waste
2) Clinical waste
3) Contaminated disposable items
4) Sharps
5) Medication waste
6) Food waste

Waste bags should not be overfilled, and workers should never push waste down using their hands.

Sharps such as needles must be placed directly into an approved sharps container. They should not be left on a surface or carried around unnecessarily.

v)Respiratory Hygiene

Simple respiratory hygiene can help prevent the spread of coughs, colds, flu and other respiratory infections.

Workers and people receiving care should be encouraged to:

a) Cover the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing
b) Use a disposable tissue
c) Place the tissue into a bin immediately
d) Clean their hands afterwards
e) Keep frequently touched surfaces clean
f) Follow workplace guidance if symptoms develop

Adult social care settings in England should follow current infection-control guidance when managing acute respiratory infections.

vi) Infection Control in Domiciliary Care

Infection prevention can be more complicated for domiciliary care workers because every home is different.

A worker may visit several people during one shift. Without careful practice, contaminated hands, clothing or equipment could carry germs from one home to another.

Domiciliary care workers should:

1) Carry suitable hand-cleaning supplies
2) Keep clean and used equipment separate
3) Store PPE safely
4) Dispose of waste according to the agreed procedure
5) Clean reusable equipment between visits
6) Avoid placing care equipment on visibly dirty surfaces
7) Report infection concerns to their manager
8) Follow each person’s care plan

The worker should respect that the setting is the person’s home while still following safe working practices.

4) What Should a Care Worker Do When Someone Has Symptoms?

A care worker should not ignore symptoms or attempt to diagnose the person without appropriate authority.

The worker should:

1) Follow the individual’s care plan.
2) Report the concern to the appropriate manager or senior member of staff.
3) Record observations accurately.
4) Follow any additional infection-control precautions.
5) Seek medical advice through the agreed route where required.
6) Call 999 if the person is seriously ill or in immediate danger.

Workers should also report their own symptoms and follow the organisation’s sickness and absence procedure.

Continuing to work while unwell may place vulnerable people at risk.

5) Is Infection Control Everyone’s Responsibility?

Yes.

Managers are responsible for policies, supplies, risk assessments, training and monitoring. However, every worker is responsible for following the correct procedures during their own work.

Government guidance for care workers states that following infection-prevention measures and limiting the spread of infection is everyone’s responsibility.

A good policy will not protect anyone if workers do not follow it in practice.

Common Infection-Control Mistakes

Some common mistakes include:

1) Wearing gloves instead of cleaning hands
2) Using the same gloves for several tasks
3) Touching a phone while wearing contaminated gloves
4) Reusing disposable PPE
5) Wearing rings, false nails or damaged nail polish against workplace policy
6) Failing to clean shared equipment
7) Placing clean items on contaminated surfaces
8) Shaking used bedding
9) Working while experiencing infectious symptoms
10) Failing to report an infection concern

Many of these mistakes happen because people become rushed or overconfident.

Regular training and supervision help workers recognise unsafe habits before they lead to harm.

Why Infection-Control Training Matters

Workers need more than a list of rules. They need to understand why each precaution is required.

Good infection-control training should help a learner understand:

1) How infections spread
2) How to break the chain of infection
3) When and how to clean their hands
4) When PPE is needed
5) How to handle waste and laundry
6) How to clean equipment
7) What to report
8) Where to find workplace guidance

Learn for Care’s online Infection Prevention and Control course covers hand hygiene, preventing the spread of infection and the appropriate use of PPE.

Online learning should be supported by workplace induction, local procedures, supervision and practical checks where required.

Conclusion

Infection prevention and control is important because people in care settings may be especially vulnerable to infection.

Small actions can make a large difference. Cleaning hands at the correct time, changing gloves between tasks, cleaning shared equipment and reporting symptoms promptly can all help stop an infection from spreading.

Safe care depends on workers understanding the risks and applying infection-control precautions consistently—not only during an outbreak, but on every shift.

Continue Your Learning

Build your understanding of safe care practices with Learn for Care’s online Infection Prevention and Control training.

The course can help new and experienced care workers refresh their knowledge of hand hygiene, PPE and methods used to reduce the spread of infection.