IPC staff regular training
Vale of Leven Inquiry · The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report · Issued 24 November 2014 · Addressed to: NHS Health Boards (Scotland)
Source — verbatim from the inquiry
●Inquiry recommendation
Health Boards should ensure that Infection Control Nurses and Infection Control Doctors have regular training in infection prevention and control of which a record should be kept.
Vale of Leven Inquiry, The Vale of Leven Hospital Inquiry Report · 24 Nov 2014 Source PDF →
Published evidence summary
Publicly available evidence relating to this recommendation:
- The Scottish Government's response confirmed that the HAI Taskforce delivery plan included education and training frameworks to ensure Infection Control Nurses and Doctors have regular IPC training with records kept. The Cleanliness Champions Programme, introduced in September 2003, has been completed by over 18,000 NHS Scotland staff.
- NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provides national education programmes for IPC, including specialist training for Infection Control Nurses and Doctors, mandatory induction training for all healthcare workers, and continuing professional development resources.
- The HCAI Strategy 2023-2025 includes workforce education as a priority, with ARHAI Scotland supporting training and competency development across NHS boards (Scottish HCAI Strategy 2023-2025 (https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-healthcare-associated-infection-hcai-strategy-2023-2025/)).
- Regulatory bodies (NMC, GMC) require continuing professional development as a condition of registration, reinforced through revalidation processes.
Response — verbatim from government
●Scottish Government
Section 4.3 of the Scottish Government's response notes that the HAI Taskforce delivery plan included an education framework for specialists working in infection prevention and control. For nurses, accredited education programmes for specialist and advanced practice roles are available, with places usually funded by NHS boards, and the "Setting the Direction" action plan ensures their continued accessibility. Postgraduate medical education and training operates within a UK-wide framework, with curricula and standards approved by the GMC and quality-assured by NHS Education for Scotland.
Scottish Government · 18 Jun 2015 Written response →
Evidence trail — what's actually happened since
- 1 Jan 2025 · NHS Education for Scotland SIPCEP includes specialist IPC training pathway. Infection Prevention Workforce Strategic Plan 2022-2024 addresses IPC specialist career development and continuing education. New IPC Specialist Career Framework being developed. View source → Good Progress
Each entry above links to a primary source — gov.uk written statement, consultation response document, or inspection report. The Index does not characterise government intent; it tracks what has been published.
How this page is built
Source and Response are verbatim from primary documents. The Evidence trail records published activity since — written statements, consultation outcomes, inspection findings, parliamentary references. The Index does not paraphrase or characterise intent; it tracks what has been published. Where the evidence is the absence of action (a missed deadline, a slipped timetable), that absence is documented from primary sources rather than inferred.
This recommendation's data is verified periodically against primary sources. The Index is monitored for staleness weekly.