Thank You – Member Feedback Helping Shape Our Work for the Year Ahead
Last year many of you took the time to complete the IPS member survey and share your views on what is working well, where challenges remain, and how IPS can better support a diverse and inclusive membership.
The Board remains extremely grateful for the time and thought members invested in providing that feedback. The survey findings were presented earlier this year and, at our recent Board Strategy Session, trustees and clinical leaders spent dedicated time revisiting the results alongside our existing strategic priorities and plans for the final year of the Working Together to Prevent Infection strategy.
The discussion confirmed strong support for IPS’s current direction of travel and members’ continued commitment to the importance of infection prevention. The feedback also provided valuable insight into the practical areas where members would most like IPS to focus its effort, influence and resources over the coming year.
We wanted to share a summary of those discussions and some of the themes that will help inform our work programme. While the summary below is necessarily high level, the conversations also identified potential partners, opportunities and practical actions that we will continue to develop over the coming months.
1. Patient Safety and Public Impact
Members told us that IPS should have a stronger public-facing voice and do more to help people understand how infection prevention protects patients and communities.
The Board saw how this feedback supports IPS’s strategic ambition to increase awareness of the value of infection prevention amongst patients, communities and wider stakeholders.
Key ideas included:
- A public-facing infection prevention campaign focused on simple, evidence-based actions such as hand hygiene.
- Development of downloadable resources, videos and social media content that members can use locally.
- Greater use of patient stories and case studies to demonstrate the impact of infection prevention on people’s lives.
- A particular focus on older people and other groups at greater risk of infection, including those who may experience health inequalities or barriers to accessing information
- Working with community and charitable partners to extend the reach of infection prevention messages.
The Board felt this work aligns strongly with IPS’s charitable purpose and provides an opportunity to demonstrate the value of infection prevention beyond healthcare settings. The Board also recognised the importance of ensuring that public-facing messages are accessible, inclusive and relevant to diverse communities.
2. Leadership, Accountability and Organisational Influence
Members highlighted concerns about inconsistent leadership support, unclear accountability and difficulties influencing decision-makers.
The Board saw how this feedback supports IPS’s strategic ambition to increase awareness of the value of infection prevention amongst patients, communities and wider stakeholders.
Key themes included:
- Supporting senior leaders, executives and boards to understand their responsibilities for infection prevention.
- Developing practical guidance on what good infection prevention governance and assurance look like.
- Helping organisations understand roles, responsibilities and lines of accountability.
- Encouraging inclusive leadership approaches that support equitable decision-making and reflect the needs of diverse patient and workforce populations
- Working with technical experts and partner organisations to translate complex requirements into practical guidance.
- Positioning IPS as a trusted source of advice, clarity and expertise.
The discussion also recognised the significant organisational change currently taking place across health and care systems and the need for guidance that remains relevant regardless of future structural changes.
The Board also recognised the importance of ensuring that any principles, guidance and practical resources developed through this work are applicable across all four nations of the UK and the Republic of Ireland, recognising the different structures, policy environments and healthcare systems within which members operate
3. Workforce, Professional Recognition and Career Development
The survey highlighted significant workforce pressures, concerns about capacity, increasing workloads and worries about the future sustainability of the profession.
The Board saw clear alignment between members’ concerns about workforce capacity and IPS’s strategic commitment to supporting and strengthening the profession.
Areas identified for further work included:
- Raising awareness of the breadth, value and impact of infection prevention careers.
- Showcasing the diverse career paths available within the profession and promoting opportunities for individuals from a wide range of backgrounds
- Promoting infection prevention as a specialist discipline with significant leadership opportunities.
- Supporting clearer education and career development pathways.
- Exploring how specialist knowledge, skills and professional recognition can be strengthened over time.
- Ensuring infection prevention expertise is represented in wider workforce planning discussions.
The Board also discussed the importance of highlighting the contribution infection prevention professionals make to patient safety, organisational resilience and public health outcomes.
The discussion recognised that many of the workforce challenges identified by members reflect wider system pressures across health and care. While IPS alone cannot resolve workforce shortages or organisational structures, it can continue to advocate for the profession, raise awareness of the value of infection prevention expertise, contribute evidence to workforce discussions, and work with partners to support the development and recognition of the profession across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Trustees also noted that specialist infection prevention teams represent a relatively small proportion of the healthcare workforce and that specialist functions have reduced in some areas over recent years. This reinforces the importance of ensuring infection prevention expertise remains visible, influential and appropriately represented within wider workforce and service planning discussions
What Happens Next?
These discussions will help inform IPS activity during the final year of the current strategy. They provide additional insight into where members believe IPS can have the greatest impact and help us prioritise activity within our existing strategic direction.
Detailed plans, timelines and potential partnerships are now being explored and developed. As this work progresses, we will continue to keep members informed.
Thank you again to everyone who contributed to the survey. Your feedback has helped validate our direction of travel, informed Board discussions and provided valuable insight into the practical priorities that matter most to members and the profession.
