Director of Infection Prevention and Control (DIPC) and Infection Prevention & Control Consultant Nurse, Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust and Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
About Joanne Taylor
Joanne Taylor has dedicated more than 20 years to Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), building an impressive career across community, acute, social care, prison, private healthcare and care home settings. She currently serves as Director of Infection Prevention and Control (DIPC) and Infection Prevention & Control Consultant Nurse for Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust and Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, providing strategic leadership across both organisations as they prepare for the future of healthcare delivery.
Her career so far
Joanne began her IPC career in 2005 after working within the wider health and social care sector. Since then, she has held a number of senior leadership roles across the NHS, including Lead Nurse, Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control and Quality Improvement Consultant. Throughout her career she has successfully led infection prevention services through periods of significant change, including the COVID-19 pandemic, while continuing to champion safe, high-quality patient care across diverse healthcare settings.
Alongside her NHS leadership responsibilities, Joanne is passionate about education and developing the future IPC workforce. As an Honorary Research Fellow with the University of Plymouth, she leads an Infection Prevention and Control module designed to improve access to specialist education within Cornwall. Recognising that previous training opportunities required significant travel, she helped establish a locally delivered programme, ensuring healthcare professionals could access high-quality education closer to home.
Her time at the IPS
A long-standing member of the Infection Prevention Society, Joanne has played an active role in the organisation for over two decades. After joining the former Infection Control Nurses Association (ICNA) in 2004, she became involved with the West Midlands Branch, serving as both Deputy Coordinator and Coordinator over six years. She later joined the IPS Board of Trustees, holding the positions of Deputy Treasurer and Treasurer for a combined five years. In recognition of her contribution to the Society, particularly during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Joanne was awarded Honorary Membership on completing her Board term in 2022.
Today, Joanne continues to support the Society in several national roles. She is Deputy Coordinator of the Sustainability Special Interest Group (SIG), represents IPS within the OneTogether collaboration and serves as the Society’s representative on the NHS Supply Chain Infection Prevention Clinical Council. These roles reflect her ongoing commitment to advancing infection prevention practice through collaboration, innovation and partnership working.
Vision for IPS
If elected as Vice President, Joanne would focus on making the Infection Prevention Society even more inclusive and accessible. She believes there are many professionals working in infection prevention who are not yet benefiting from the Society’s resources, education and professional network. Her ambition is to strengthen engagement across all healthcare settings while ensuring members throughout the four nations and the Republic of Ireland have equitable access to learning, support and opportunities for professional development.
Throughout her career, Joanne has demonstrated a commitment to collaboration beyond the NHS. Her experience as a Parish Councillor, School Governor and Beaver and Cub Leader has strengthened her ability to engage with diverse communities, listen to different perspectives and build partnerships that improve outcomes. She has also contributed to policy and guideline development at local, regional and national levels, helping shape infection prevention practice across a range of healthcare services.
Joanne believes the Society has a vital role in supporting healthcare professionals through an evolving political and financial landscape while ensuring patient safety remains at the heart of everything it does. Drawing on her extensive leadership experience within both the NHS and the Infection Prevention Society, she hopes to help the Society continue to grow, influence national policy, expand educational opportunities and support every member in delivering excellence in infection prevention and control.
Voting opens on 12 August 2026 and closes on 2 September 2026. Eligible IPS members will receive a link to vote electronically via Microsoft Forms. Be sure to read all three candidate profiles before casting your vote.
