IPS Annual Reports

It is our pleasure to introduce this annual review for the financial year ending 31 March 2023, on behalf of the Infection Prevention Society (IPS) Board of Trustees and the Management Executive Group.

2022/2023 was the year that the world began to get back up on its feet post the COVID-19 pandemic. Healthcare across the globe has continued to face a challenging and unprecedented time recovering from the pandemic whilst attempting to reduce the backlog of patients needing care.  We know that infection prevention practitioners, researchers, academics, leaders, and policy makers have worked tirelessly to enable the safe delivery of health and care to our communities and our patients.  The emotional toll of this work cannot be underestimated, we would like to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for all that you have done, and all that you continue to do. 

During the review period in 2022/2023, the IPS has continued to work hard in representing over 2,400 members, we are hugely grateful for the boundless energy and time that you give to the profession and our Society, we are indebted to each and every one of you.  As we have progressed over the past 12 months, the role that industry has played in supporting innovation in infection prevention practice, and in supporting the Society is acknowledged and hugely valued, working together we can continue to innovate whilst protecting our fragile planet. 

Our Sustainability Special Interest Group (SIG) is now the fastest growing Group of the Society, a recognition that achieving Net Zero, whilst challenging, will benefit global health and reduce health and care inequalities.  Throughout 2022/2023, we have also recognised that as a Society we must further develop our reach, our inclusivity and our diversity, we know that significant inequalities exist across the world and here in the United Kingdom and Ireland, during this coming year we will continue to promote inclusion and work to develop greater diversity in our membership and our leadership.    

Finally, our annual review details our activity over the past financial year and is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our incredible Branches, and our Special Interest and Business Groups, all of whom have given their time freely and in support of the Society.  We would also like to express our thanks to members of the Management Executive Group and Board of Trustees for their stewardship, creativity, and invaluable support during the past year.

Lisa Butcher
President
Infection Prevention Society

Prof. Steve Hams MBE, MStJ, RN
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Infection Prevention Society

Governance and Strategy

Governance

The Society moved to a new governance structure in 2020. With the transfer of Governance functions to the Board of Trustees since then, this has enabled the Management Executive Group, made up of the Executive Officers, Business Group Leads and Country Leads, to focus on delivering the work of the Society. 

The Board of Trustees oversee the business and assets of the IPS and act in accordance with the IPS governing document, (Articles of Association).

The Management Executive Group (MEG) oversees the general management and day to day running of the society.

The IPS MEG and Trustees have ensured that the Society met all of the requirements of the Charity Commission during the period of this annual report.

Strategy

During 2020, the IPS Trustees and MEG developed a 2021 – 24 Strategic Plan with the support of Q5, an organisational development consultancy. The new strategic plan was published in February 2021 ahead of being implanted on the 1 April 2021.

A one-year Annual Workplan for 2022-2023 was developed from the Strategic Plan and is reviewed at MEG meetings throughout the year to track activity against outcomes.  The current strategic plan can be viewed on the IPS website (ww.ips.uk.net). During the year, the IPS Trustees and MEG also began planning the new organisational strategy, and this will be a focus for 2023/2024.

Business Group Activity

Education and Professional Development Committee

The EPDC purpose is to develop, implement and evaluate a range of education and professional development opportunities which will empower and enable members to be inspired and inform infection prevention practice. This is achieved by the development of resources, competency-based education activities and collaborative working.

Some of the EPDC activity has included:

Kerry Holden
EPDC Coordinator

• Undertaking a 'virtual roadshow' to promote competency framework at branch meetings and conferences including two competency specific workshops for Branches.

• Social media engagement and promotion of the competency framework including the mapping of competences against the IP2022 scientific programme live on twitter throughout the conference. The learning platform and competences is the second most visited page on the IPS website after the home page.

• Launching the new EPDC resource page on the website at IP2022, which is linked to the learning platform and mapped to the competency framework. Current resources are mostly external sources; accessible by competency domain with a clear description as to the content and whether it is country specific. EPDC continue to work with Jo from Frank! Communication Solutions to add new resources to the website as they are identified. EPDC also engaged in the website review meeting held by the IPS and presented on the new resources page for feedback. EPDC continue to monitor the resources pages on the website for quality purposes and add new content. After the competency framework/ learning platform the resource landing page is the next most visited page on the website.

• Continuing to provide a co-opted member to the Scientific programme committee to organise support delivery of the national conference as done for IP2022 and includes review of abstracts and judging of the oral presentations. 

• Representation on behalf of the IPS at the NHS England task and finish group to help develop an IPC Professionals Education Framework.

Journal of Infection Prevention: Editorial Management Group

The EMG focuses on publishing a high-quality peer reviewed publication, the Journal of Infection Prevention, which advances professional knowledge and skill in the art and science of IPC practice. The EMG is responsible for supporting the publication of high-quality original papers and increasing the profile of the journal.

Heather Loveday
EMG Coordinator

Scientific Programme Committee (SPC)

The SPC focuses on creating robust and topical scientific programmes for the IPS annual conference and works in parallel with professional conference organisers,  Conference Partners International (CPI), , to deliver a high quality, well evaluated professional networking and learning event for members and the wider national and international infection prevention and control community.

During the year, our flagship networking and knowledge-exchange platform was s our annual Conference which was held in Bournemouth in October 2022.  Conference was a huge success for the Society, attracting over 500 delegates and 67 sponsors and exhibitors over 3 days. 

Kat Topley
SPC Coordinator
IP2022

Research and Development Committee

The R&D Committee focuses on building research capability and capacity among the IPS membership through education, initiating collaborative research projects and awarding annual research grants. In addition, they work with other external groups to further the evidence base for infection prevention and control.
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Key activities include:

Ashley Flores
R&D Lead 2022/23

• The Committee ran quarterly research/quality improvement webinars. Topics included ‘Statistical Process Charts: a primer for QI and research projects’ and ‘How to undertake a QI project.’ Molnlycke provided sponsorship for the Surgical Site Infection webinar in June 2022.

• The Research/Quality Improvement Project (QIP) Grants 2022/2023 were relaunched on 4^th February 2022 via the President’s Bulletin and social media.  Up to £11,000 per annum is available to the IPS members to support small research/QIP projects.

• The content of the R&D Committee web page has been reviewed and kept up to date.

• The link between the R&D Committee and JIP has been improved with an R&D member becoming a JIP reviewer.

• The Committee reviewed applications from a number of PhD students to distribute research surveys to IPS members.

• The Committee conducted a research project as regards the ‘Research Priorities of IPS Members’. The aim of the research was to establish IPS members’ research priorities in the current climate. A member survey and focus group were undertaken. The paper is currently being written up for publication and will be submitted to JIP during 2023.

International Engagement Committee

The IEC focuses on engaging with international colleagues and sustaining links with IPS members working outside of the UK. The IEC continues to engage with international members through the President’s Digest and IPS International Communique and also promotes the IPS when attending international conferences. IPS membership is provided for colleagues working in resource limited countries via Special Access Membership.

Other key activities of the IEC include:

Rafaela Franca
IEC Lead 2022

• Quarterly meetings for IEC members including face to face meeting at conference.

• Meet and greet session for international delegates and speakers at conference.

• Representing IPS at GIPCN meetings online quarterly and in person annually.

• Representing IPS at EUNETIPS meeting annually.

• Increasing to four affiliate societies based overseas.

• Linking affiliate societies to UK based branches to encourage more interaction with breach activities.

• Promoting special access membership among IEC members personal networks.

• Suggesting international speakers and subjects to present at conference through SPC.​

Corporate Affairs Group

The Corporate Affairs Group (CAG) provides a robust and effective foundation upon which to conduct relations with IPS corporate members and also to promote membership of the Society to new members.

​The IPS Board of Trustees and MEG has consistently acknowledged the outstanding contribution made by corporate members to the well-being of the Society given their support at national and branch levels. The Board has therefore been pleased to facilitate the CAG and its programmes which sustain and enrich this relationship.

Rachel Downham
Corporate Affairs Lead

Key activities:

• ​Product Surgery and Corporate Networking Day held June 2022, kindly hosted by GAMA Healthcare at thier office in Hemel Hempstead.

• Infection Prevention Show held during IP2022 in Bournemouth.

• Product Surgery held in Bournemouth during IP2022.

• Product Surgery and Corporate Networking Day held January 2023, kindly hosted by GAMA Healthcare at thier office in Hemel Hempstead.​

Projects and Collaborations

Improving Device-Related Infection Prevention Practice

Originally set up in 2018, the DRIPP collaborative project includes the Infection Prevention Society, the National Infusion and Vascular Access Society (NIVAS), the Association for Safe Aseptic Practice (ASAP), British Association of Urological Nurses (BAUN) and Association for Continence Advice (ACA) supported by BD-Becton Dickinson. The aim is to develop resources to support best practice in the management of VADs and UCs to reduce variation and inconsistency in the delivery of care.

Activity during 2022/23 includes:

The following draft resources have been developed so far:

• Vascular Access Device (VAD) Patient Pathway Guidance
• VAD Care Bundles for both peripheral and central venous access devices
• VAD surveillance guide
• Urinary Catheter Quick Reference Guide
• Urinary Catheter Discharge Pathway

Alternatives to Urinary CathetersConsultation of the resources was carried out during a large virtual workshop in July 2022 attended by 120 delegates providing valuable feedback on how the resources can be used in practice.

The DRIPP resources and events can found on the DRIPP website.

Vessel Health Preservation Project

The Vessel Health and Preservation (VHP) Project is led by the IPS in collaboration with the National Infusion and Vascular Access Society and Medusa supported with an educational grant from Teleflex to provide an evidence-based framework for vascular access. Activity from 2022/2023 includes:

• The VHP users survey highlighted positive comments with the use of the VHP2020 in providing better care, enabling safe use of devices, defining terms, standardizing care and guidance and guiding vascular access device choice.

• A web-based tool kit is being developed for the VHP2020 framework to enable access from electronic devices, this work is being supported by 3M.

• All VHP resources are available on the IPS VHP webpage, including:

  • Downloadable A2 VHP poster

  • VHP video on how to use the VHP2020 framework

  • ‘UK Vessel Health and Preservation (VHP) Framework: a commentary on the updated VHP 2020’, Journal of Infection Prevention.

OneTogether Partnership

Our partnership with the Association of Perioperative Practitioners, Central Sterilising Club, College of Operating Department Practitioners, Royal College of Nursing is supported by 3M and has created a large set of practical surgical site infection prevention resources over the last few years but as with most activity was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The group reconvened in Summer 2022 and since then have reviewed all of the existing resources to ensure there hasn’t been any relevant research published since their creation which needs to be considered or that would change the resource guidance. Work is also underway to develop the next resource on Wound management. The content for this has now been agreed and the information has gone to graphic designers to put into the One Together resources format.

The group have also been working on a conference which will be in the Spring of 2024. The main theme of the conference will be around wound management and the new resource, while at the same time increasing the publicity of the existing resources as with the two year break some staff now working on Surgical site infections and the wider Infection prevention community may be new

Branch and Special Interest Group Activity

IPS has 14 branches and 7 Special Interest Groups. The branches and special interest groups are the heart of the Society and provide opportunities for collaborating, problem solving, networking and professional development for IPS members.

Highlights for 2022/23 include:

• The East of England Branch conference in June 2022, which for the second year was held via Teams, proved a success.  Prof. Steve Hams, Board of Trustee Chair, opened the day.  Five partners sponsored the event, and each gave a presentation.  Almost 100 delegates joined the call with subjects covering IPC in care homes during and beyond the pandemic, zoonotic viruses and now Monkeypox (Chris Smith, The Naked Scientist), Ventilation, Decontamination and Water (Karren Staniforth – UKHSA), Lassa Fever and the unexpected event and other presentations from services around the region.

• The London South Branch developed a Branch Support Pack using google drive which incorporated a Communication Strategy for events, webinar evaluations, and MS form to engage members on the branch educational agenda The Branch continues to promote educational webinars and during the year held online webinars on urinary catheters, surgical site infections and hand hygiene.

• The North East Branch had to change their annual conference last minute from face-to-face to virtual but there was still good attendance. To promote engagement, the Branch has  incorporated Slido into presentations to create more interactive meetings, which has had positive feedback from members.

• The Northern Ireland Branch re-established face-to-face branch meetings and started planning for the NI Branch conference which will be held in June 2023.

• The Republic of Ireland Branch continued to grow with an increase from 36 Full Members in April 2022 to 50 Full Members in the end of March 2023. The Branch facilitated a targeted lunchtime webinar series on the Built Environment with three successful webinars with eminent speakers including Professor Elaine Cloutman-Green. An education subgroup was established in March 2023 with the aim of supporting webinars and study day x 1 in 2023, Webinars x 2 May 2023 and Study Day planned for 6 October 2023.

• The Scotland Branch hosted a successful Branch Conference at the Golden Jubilee, Glasgow and held 4 successful virtual branch meetings with growing attendance and industry partnership involvement.

• The South West Branch introduced face-to-face meetings throughout the year but continued with virtual meetings as required. Two of the ranch officers attended the first IPS Officers Training Day in Birmingham and planning began  for the face to face branch annual conference for 2023.

• The Trent Branch continued to hold virtual and face to face branch meetings have every quarter throughout the year. The annual Branch conference was moved from May to July to enable a face to face conference to go ahead. This will be moved back to May for 2023. The conference had good attendance from delegates face-to-faceface-to-f and exhibitors and the event evaluated well.

• The Welsh Branch held a National Study Day on the 6 of July 2022 which received very positive feedback from both delegates and exhibitors Branch meetings were held in collaboration with the Public Health Wales infection prevention forum with the aim to sustain and increase membership. The Branch Coordinator also sits on the National Delivery Unit for Infection Prevention representing their Health Board plus IPS.

• The Wessex Branch held successful online evening webinars in July 2022 and September 2022, and a successful Branch conference was held on the 10 November 2022.  During the year the Branch improved the use of the IPS website.

• The Yorkshire Branch put together a two-year schedule outlining virtual and face-to-face meetings, with locations spread across West and South Yorkshire. Venues include a mixture of industry partners locations such as GAMA and B Braun, and more relaxed mindful locations such as the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. The Branch also held a six-weekly dial in support for Yorkshire Branch members to attend;  a well-attended and well evaluated One Day Conference sponsored by Tristel at the Bridge Community Church, Leeds in June 2022; a face-to-face meeting at Temple Newsam in Leeds in July 2022, sponsored by Gojo; a meeting in March 2022 with hospitality provided by GAMA Healthcare at their offices in Halifax.

• The Ambulance SIG had a new Coordinator appointed and a work plan has been drafted and ready to put in place for 23/24 including a study day in 2024 and a face-to-face meeting during the IPS Annual Conference 2023.

• The Audit and Surveillance SIG has over 800 members and continues to be the largest of the specialist interest groups. The SIG have been working on the development and testing of two novel surveillance tools: a Vascular Access Device Infection tracker developed in collaboration with the IV SIG and an outbreak management solution created in collaboration with the University of Salford (the ICE Tool). During the year the SIG has been developing technical resources to support the surveillance of HCAI and continued to collaborate with other SIGs and academic partners.

• The Care Home SIG held two face to face and one virtual meeting with the face-to-face meetings both fully booked, and 60 attendees at the Teams meeting. A working party was formed from volunteers within the SIG to review the National Standards of Cleaning document appendices, making drafts that can be adapted as needed by adult social care settings. The SIG also participated in CDI collaborative workshop, and joined a working party led by TSA and De Montford University reviewing laundry management in care homes, with aim of developing guidelines.

• The Community and Health Protection SIG held its first meeting held on 11 May 2022. Settings covered in meetings have included schools, asylum seeker accommodation and prisons. As of 31 March 2023, membership of the group stood at 223.

• The IV Forum SIG held two webinars: 21 February 2023 – Sustainability and 29 March 2023 – IVOS. The SIG took part in a survey to understand the impact of the vessel health and preservation framework UK VHP 2020 and also the National Intravenous (IV) passport development Phase 2 - a tool for clearer, standardised communications and improved patient safety, experience and outcomes. An IV Forum Conference was held November 2022.

• The Mental Health and Learning Disabilities SIG meetings have continued and remain blended (face to face and virtual). Six-weekly catch-up and WhatsApp groups have continued to provide invaluable support for members, and the SIG supported one educational presentation at the 2022 Annual Conference. 

• The Sustainability SIG is the newest special interest group of the society with meetings held monthly from January 2023. All SIG officer positions were filled at first meeting, and the SIG now has ~100 members, with 30-40 attending each meeting. A conference is taking place in September 2023, with all speaker slots fille, Links have been established between the SIG and key leads within other national groups and bodies. Progress was made on building up a compendium of sustainability projects that IPS members and others can use to facilitate their own projects. The SIG Coordinator has been invited to present on the work of the SIG to several IPS branches (Scotland, ROI, East of England, South West, North West).

Developments for 2023/24

During the forthcoming year we will also deliver the following strategic activities:

• We are pleased to be working with NHS England and other interested parties in developing the education framework for infection prevention practitioners.

• We continue to develop our links with the four nations, Ireland, and global partners in developing a shared recognition of the importance of a highly skilled infection prevention workforce to population health.

• We plan to improve the IPS virtual discussion forum for members to promote engagement and offer a platform for the sharing of ideas and challenges.

• In October 2023 we will launch a survey of the IPS membership which will help us to develop a new strategy to highlight the role of the IPS to serve our members, support the IPC and healthcare communities and benefit our patients.

• Our new Strategy will be published in the spring of 2024.

• We understand that good governance is fundamental to our charity’s success. It enables and supports a charity’s compliance with the law and relevant regulations. It also promotes a culture in which everything works towards fulfilling the charity’s vision. As such, we will further review our governance structure alongside the Charity Governance Code to ensure we operate to high standards of governance. 

• During the year we will continue to develop new income generation streams to ensure we can sustain and grow our charitable activities.

• We will review the use of the Competencies Framework and the use of the Credentialing Framework.

• We will strive to continuously improve the annual IPS Conference by evaluating the experience, educational content and value of each conference and incorporating any learning into the planning for subsequent conferences.

• The activities of our regional branches are crucial to the Society’s success, and we will work with our Branches to further support and promote their plans.

• We aim to continue to strengthen the relationships with corporate members and corporate partners through the work of the IPS Corporate Affairs Group.

• Throughout 2023/2024 we will continue to strive be a leading influence on IPC practice and provide IPCS members with up-to-date and timely IPC research-related information and resources.

• Finally, we will promote and improve the benefits of membership for international members who join the IPS and continue to make resources available on the IPS website for members who are supporting resource limited countries.

Conclusion

This brief summary of our activity during the period April 2022 and March 2023 is a testament to the hard work and commitment of our Trustees, and the officers of IPS at national, Branch and SIG level.  It demonstrates progress against our strategic plan and illustrates the key building blocks we have put in place to support the ongoing development of the Society

Previous years:

• IPS Annual Report 2021/2022
• IPS Annual Report 2020/2021
• IPS Annual Report 2019/2020
• IPS Annual Report 2018/2019
• IPS Annual Report 2017/2018