RCSI and the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) is jointly hosting a course on ‘Safe Patient Care – Healthcare-associated Infection Prevention and Control for All’ this week.

The course is aimed at personnel who are not specialists in infection prevention and control such as medical, nursing and allied health workers.

The course commenced on Monday with a welcome address from Professor Cathal Kelly, Chief Executive/Registrar, RCSI and Dr Darina O’Flanagan, Director, HPSC.

Professor Hilary Humphreys, Consultant Microbiologist, Beaumont Hospital and RCSI, said: "RCSI is committed to advancing the highest standards of care for patients. Education to improve practice is a key component in preventing healthcare-associated infection and this RCSI/HPSC initiative will maximise patient safety by enhancing the education of health care workers that interact with patients on a day-to-day basis."

Dr Fidelma Fitzpatrick, Consultant Microbiologist to the HPSC and to Beaumont Hospital said: "Every healthcare worker has an individual responsibility to prevent healthcare–associated infection when caring for all patients at all times.  These infections are costly to the healthcare service and to society and more importantly can result in considerable suffering and pain for patients."

Themes for the week-long course taking place in RCSI this week include standard and transmission-based precautions; communicable diseases, multi-drug resistant organisms; invasive medical devices; and audit and research.