51Âþ»­

Ground-breaking research into infection control practices for laundering in care and nursing homes has been shortlisted for a national award.

Professor Katie Laird, of 51Âþ»­ Leicester’s School of Pharmacy, carried out a national study of more than 1,000 care home managers and healthcare workers which revealed critical gaps in laundry practices and the need for improved training and support. This research was funded by the Textiles Service Association as a social consciousness project to aid care homes in their infection control of laundry post-pandemic.



It led to the formation of a new national group to develop and implement practical and accessible guidance on laundry for community healthcare organisations

Now their work has reached the finals of the Infection Prevention Society’s Award for Excellence, which is being announced on Tuesday (24 Sept).

Prof Laird said: “We are thrilled to have our work shortlisted for this prestigious award. The research revealed significant gaps in infection control practices, particularly in laundry management, which can pose a risk of infection transmission. The formation of the Laundry Management Group and the development of new guidance is a critical step in improving care for vulnerable populations. It’s encouraging to see the impact our work is having, and we hope it leads to lasting change in infection control practices across community healthcare settings.””

The IPS Impact Awards recognises and celebrates initiatives undertaken that demonstrate excellence, innovation or improvement in infection prevention and control (IPC) practice, service delivery or education.

The national study found that less than half of healthcare workers thought that bed linen, personal laundry and staff uniforms was always properly processed in on-premises care home laundries.

Only 50 per cent of care home managers reported that their staff received formal laundry training. Some 87% of healthcare workers said they needed additional
training and more than 90% of managers and workers called for greater support in managing on site laundry facilities.

As a result of the study, Professor Laird and the Infection Prevention Society Care Home Special Interest Group developed practical and accessible guidance tailored for care homes and community care grounded in scientific principles of infectious disease transmissions.

It provides detailed guidance for handling of infected linen, maintenance of laundering equipment and appropriate wash programmes, to help control the spread of infection from contaminated textiles.