Infection Prevention & Healthcare Epidemiology Unit

Clinical service overview

Our goals include:

• Improving patient safety by preventing healthcare-associated infections
• Educating staff, patients and visitors to Alfred Health on their responsibilities in infection prevention
• Reducing the risk of patients developing and transmitting multi-drug resistant microorganisms
• Keeping our staff, patients and visitors safe from exposure to infectious agents
• Conducting research to promote evidence-based practice in Infection Prevention
• Reducing the financial and social costs of healthcare-associated infections
• Keeping up to date with advancements in healthcare infection prevention technologies, and recommending introduction where benefits to patient or staff safety are evident

Our key activities include promoting hand hygiene, surveillance, education, and implementation of evidence-based infection prevention and control practices.

Staff Immunisation and Exposure Management Unit

The Staff Immunisation and Exposure Management Unit has clinics at The Alfred, Caulfield Hospital and Sandringham Hospital, and offers the following services to Alfred Health staff:

• Healthcare worker immunisation
• Infectious diseases exposure management
• Blood and body fluid/needlestick exposure management – all staff to contact pager 3000 if a blood/body fluid exposure has occurred (24-hour service)
• Referral service for allergenic responses to latex or hand hygiene agents
• Travel clinic referrals

Staff who require urgent medical attention should attend the Emergency Department.

For all other medical issues, staff should see their GP.