Evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare-associated infections in primary and community care in England Developed by Thames Valley University under the auspices of the National Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Supportive Care. Commissioned by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence and funded by the Department of Health (England)

Evidence-based infection prevention and control guidelines form an essential component of an overall strategy to increase patient safety by reducing the incidence of preventable healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). In 1998, the Communicable Diseases Branch at the Department of Health (England) (DH) commissioned the first set of national evidence-based infection prevention and control guidelines for preventing HAIs in secondary care facilities. These guidelines were developed within the 'epic' initiative in the Richard Wells Research Centre at Thames Valley University London (TVU) and were published as a special supplement to the Journal of Hospital Infection in January 2001 (available online at: www.doh.gov. uk/HAT). 1 The evidence-base for the guideline is now being updated and any recommended adjustments to the guidance as a result of the appraisal of new evidence will be published early next year. Following the very positive reception of this guidance by the professions, the DH commissioned further national guidance for preventing HAls in primary and community care services from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). These were developed by TVU for NICE under the auspices of the National Collaborating Centre for Nursing and Supportive Care. NICE issued this guidance to the National Health Service in June 2003 as a short version and a patient version, both of which are available online at: www. nice.org.uk National clinical guidelines are evidence-based recommendations that need to be incorporated into routine everyday professional practice. They complement but do not replace the knowledge and skills of experienced health professionals. These guidelines were developed by a nurse-led multi-professional group of health professionals, researchers and patient representatives. They are based on systematic review evidence that has been critically appraised for both its methodological rigour and clinical practice applicability. Extensive consultation has taken place throughout the guideline development process. To facilitate the widespread dissemination of the guidance, the Hospital Infection Society and the Infection Control Nurses Association have collaborated to jointly publish the guidelines as special supplements in their respective professional journals, i.e., the Journal of Hospital Infection and the British Journal of Infection Control. The Department of Health have kindly funded both supplements. These guidelines mark an important development in health protection and safer patient care and I am confident that if routinely implemented, they will help to significantly reduce the ever present risk of infections to patients in primary and community care.