Clause 13 - Code of practice relating to health care associated infections
Health Bill
12:00 pm
Jane Kennedy (Minister of State, Department of Health; Liverpool, Wavertree, Labour)
The final code of practice will lay down a standard that the Healthcare Commission will be able to use to inspect all hospitals and health care providers. Putting the code into the Bill will give statutory force to much previous guidance. That is why the draft code of practice, which was published in the July document, states:
''The purpose of this Code of Practice is to set out criteria by which all levels of management in NHS Bodies should ensure that patients are cared for in a clean environment, where the risk of HCAI is kept as low as possible.''
That will be absolutely clear. I reiterate that all the different strategies, including the ''Clean Your Hands'' campaign, are being pulled together to ensure that those who are in charge of providing care can be measured to that standard by the Healthcare Commission through ongoing inspections. Today's report was a one-off snapshot—as it was described—of that process. The intention is quite clear; the code will give statutory force to what we propose.