IPC Lead, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
About Rachael Skates
Rachael Skates is an experienced Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) leader with almost four decades of nursing experience and an extensive career spanning acute, community, mental health and ambulance services. She currently serves as IPC Lead at South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb), where she continues to champion innovation, education and practical improvements that support frontline staff and improve patient safety.
Her career so far
Rachael’s nursing career began in 1986, initially specialising in urology before working alongside Infection Prevention and Control teams to establish and lead a continence service within an acute NHS Trust. During this time, she co-authored a publication on suprapubic catheters for the British Journal of Urological Nursing, began a BSc in Health Protection and presented her work internationally, laying the foundations for a career dedicated to improving infection prevention practice.
She went on to work as an Infection Prevention Specialist Nurse in an acute trust before progressing to a senior IPC role within community services. Alongside completing an MSc in Public Health and Management, she expanded her expertise through a secondment as Infection Prevention Lead for a Clinical Commissioning Group, gaining valuable experience of infection prevention from a commissioning perspective. Rachael also became a qualified coach, delivered IPC education to universities and colleges, and was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Nurse title in recognition of her commitment to high-quality patient care and professional leadership.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachael joined a Mental Health NHS Trust as Deputy Director of Infection Prevention and Control and Associate Director of Nursing. In this role she successfully expanded IPC, physical health, vaccination and fit testing services, growing the team from three to eleven members while strengthening infection prevention across the organisation.
Since joining SECAmb in 2024, Rachael has continued to lead innovation within the ambulance sector. She played a key role in developing and promoting the Trust’s award-winning IPC App, encouraging its adoption beyond her own organisation. The project received the Infection Prevention Society Innovation Award in 2025 and has since been shortlisted for a Nursing Times Award. She has also introduced practical improvements to infection prevention within the ambulance environment, including alternative personal protective equipment for operational staff, improved hand hygiene products for ambulance crews and locally developed High Consequence Infectious Disease (HCID) training to improve access for healthcare professionals.
Her time at the IPS
An active member of the Infection Prevention Society since 2012, Rachael served as Wessex Branch Coordinator for five years and has regularly presented at the IPS Annual Conference, showcasing innovative practice and supporting colleagues to share their own work. She is passionate about encouraging others to contribute to the profession and believes sharing learning is essential to advancing infection prevention.
Vision for IPS
If elected as Vice President, Rachael hopes to ensure all areas of healthcare are represented within the Society, particularly smaller specialist services such as ambulance trusts that can sometimes be overlooked when national guidance is developed. She is committed to giving every member a voice and ensuring the Society remains an inclusive, supportive community where professionals can learn from one another and access practical, evidence-based guidance.
Rachael brings extensive leadership, mentoring and coaching experience alongside Professional Nurse Advocate training, enabling her to support colleagues at every stage of their careers. She believes effective leadership starts with listening and is passionate about creating opportunities for members to share ideas, influence practice and develop professionally.
Describing herself as the Society’s “biggest cheerleader”, Rachael is committed to helping the Infection Prevention Society continue to grow its influence, strengthen collaboration across health and care settings, and support members in delivering the highest standards of infection prevention for the benefit of patients and communities.
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.
