Most infections that spread in care and healthcare settings are preventable — and the single most effective thing anyone can do to stop them is still washing their hands at the right moments. Infection prevention and control (IPC) is the everyday practice of breaking the chain that lets germs pass from one person to another. It is not complicated, but it has to be done consistently, by everyone, every time.
This guide explains what IPC is, the chain of infection and how to break it, the standard precautions, and why it is a legal and regulatory expectation in UK care.
What infection prevention and control means
Infection prevention and control is the set of practices used to prevent the spread of infections, protecting the people you support, staff, and visitors from harm. It covers everything from hand hygiene and personal protective equipment to cleaning, safe handling of waste, and isolating infections when they occur.
It matters because healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) — infections that people pick up while receiving care — cause real harm, longer recovery, and in vulnerable people can be life-threatening. Many are avoidable. Good IPC is what makes the difference.
The chain of infection
Infections spread through a sequence often called the chain of infection. Every link has to be present for an infection to pass on — which is exactly why IPC works: break any single link and the chain is broken. The six links are:
- Infectious agent — the germ itself (bacteria, virus, fungus).
- Reservoir — where it lives and multiplies (a person, equipment, water, surfaces).
- Portal of exit — how it leaves the reservoir (coughing, a wound, body fluids).
- Mode of transmission — how it travels (hands, droplets, contaminated equipment).
- Portal of entry — how it gets into the next person (mouth, nose, broken skin).
- Susceptible host — someone whose body cannot easily fight it off.
Hand hygiene and cleaning break the mode of transmission. PPE blocks the portals of exit and entry. This is the whole logic of IPC in one idea.
Standard precautions
Standard precautions are the basic measures used with everyone, at all times, because you cannot always tell who is carrying an infection. They include:
- Hand hygiene — the most important measure of all.
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) — gloves, aprons, masks and eye protection where there is a risk of contact with body fluids.
- Safe handling and disposal of waste and sharps.
- Cleaning and decontamination of surfaces and equipment.
- Respiratory and cough hygiene, and safe management of spills and linen.
Hand hygiene — the five moments
The World Health Organization sets out five moments for hand hygiene — the points at which cleaning your hands actually stops transmission:
- Before touching a person
- Before a clean or aseptic procedure
- After any exposure risk to body fluids
- After touching a person
- After touching the person’s surroundings
Soap and water or alcohol hand rub, done properly and at these moments, prevents more infection than any other single action.
Who is responsible for IPC?
Everyone. IPC is not just the job of a specialist nurse or a manager — every worker who has contact with people, equipment or the care environment plays a part. That said, organisations also carry duties: they must provide training, equipment, policies and a clean environment, and larger providers appoint an IPC lead.
The law and regulation behind IPC
IPC is not optional good practice — it is built into UK regulation:
- The Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections (the “Hygiene Code”) sets what CQC-registered providers must do.
- The Care Quality Commission inspects IPC as part of safe care.
- The COSHH Regulations cover biological agents, and the Health and Safety at Work Act places general duties on employers.
IPC is also one of the 16 standards of the Care Certificate, which every new care worker completes.
Further reading
- Gov.uk — Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on IPC
- NICE — Infection prevention and control
- HSE — Biological agents
Frequently asked questions
What is infection prevention and control (IPC)?
Infection prevention and control is the set of practices used to prevent the spread of infections and protect the people you support, staff and visitors from harm. It covers hand hygiene, personal protective equipment, cleaning and decontamination, safe handling of waste and sharps, and isolating infections when they occur. It is central to safe care and is inspected by the Care Quality Commission.
What is the chain of infection?
The chain of infection is the sequence an infection needs to spread: an infectious agent, a reservoir where it lives, a portal of exit, a mode of transmission, a portal of entry, and a susceptible host. Every link must be present for an infection to pass on, so breaking any single link — for example through hand hygiene or PPE — stops the spread. This is the core logic of infection prevention and control.
What are standard precautions in infection control?
Standard precautions are the basic measures used with everyone at all times, because you cannot always tell who is carrying an infection. They include hand hygiene, personal protective equipment such as gloves and aprons, safe handling and disposal of waste and sharps, cleaning and decontamination of surfaces and equipment, respiratory and cough hygiene, and safe management of spills and linen.
What are the five moments for hand hygiene?
The World Health Organization’s five moments for hand hygiene are: before touching a person, before a clean or aseptic procedure, after any exposure risk to body fluids, after touching a person, and after touching the person’s surroundings. Cleaning hands with soap and water or alcohol hand rub at these moments prevents more infection than any other single action.
Who is responsible for infection prevention and control?
Everyone. IPC is not only the responsibility of a specialist nurse or manager — every worker who has contact with people, equipment or the care environment plays a part. Organisations also have duties to provide training, equipment, policies and a clean environment, and larger providers appoint an infection prevention and control lead. It is a legal expectation under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice.
Infection prevention and control training
Our Infection Prevention and Control Awareness course covers the chain of infection, standard precautions, hand hygiene, PPE and the care worker’s role in keeping people safe.
Related: What is the Care Certificate? · Person-centred care · COSHH risk assessment
£9 per course. CPD accredited, 100 % online, verifiable e-certificate on completion. Pay for 2, get 3 — any 3 courses for £18.
Please note: this is a CPD-accredited awareness course and general information, not clinical advice or a substitute for your workplace’s IPC policy, local guidance, or the role-specific competencies required in a regulated care or healthcare setting. It is not an Ofqual-regulated qualification.