Guidance

[Withdrawn] Recommendation 3: standard cleaning procedures to be reintroduced in low risk areas

Updated 19 October 2021

This guidance was withdrawn on

The information in this document has been superseded by Infection prevention and control for seasonal respiratory infections in health and care settings (including SARS-CoV-2) for winter 2021 to 2022.

Where changes are made locally to COVID-19 control measures, organisations are responsible for undertaking appropriate risk assessments, approved through local governance processes, to ensure that patient and staff safety is not compromised. For example, consideration of local factors, such as infection prevalence, patient mix and bed availability, need to be considered for the management of contacts of confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2.

© Crown copyright 2021

This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.

Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.

This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ukhsa-review-into-ipc-guidance/recommendation-3-standard-cleaning-procedures-to-be-reintroduced-in-low-risk-areas

Context

Enhanced and more frequent cleaning of surfaces was considered to be an important mitigation to prevent transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Providers of health and social care were advised that the frequency of cleaning of both the environment and equipment in patient areas, including frequently touched sites/points and shared communal facilities, should be increased.

Recommendation

Enhanced cleaning procedures can be stepped down to pre-COVID-19 levels in agreed low risk areas and providers can revert to standard cleaning procedures including those required between patients. This is because the risk of infection being transmitted from surfaces (fomites) is believed to be low where there are no individuals with symptoms of COVID-19. These decisions will be informed by local risk assessments which should include the hierarchy of controls.

This recommendation does not change the underlying need to observe a stringent cleaning regime and adhere to current infection prevention and control policies. All healthcare workers need to continuously update their knowledge on the importance of maintaining a clean and safe care environment for patients as for routine care. Every healthcare worker needs to know their specific responsibilities for cleaning and decontaminating the clinical environment and the equipment used in patient care. In particular:

  • the NHSE National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness (2021) emphasise the importance of effective cleaning in relation to infection prevention and control
  • the Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infection and related guidance (2015) expects providers of regulated activities to provide and maintain a clean and appropriate environment in managed premises that facilitates the prevention and control of infections

Evidence

The World Health Organization (WHO) and other international authorities have recently stated that there is currently limited evidence on transmission of SARS-CoV-2 via surfaces. The Independent Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours (SPI-B) has advised that hand hygiene is likely to be more effective than enhanced cleaning for reducing transmission via contaminated surfaces and that this has benefits for preventing other disease transmission and reduces healthcare burdens.

The UK Health Security Agency has consulted a range of IPC specialists on reducing enhanced cleaning in low risk areas and they are supportive of the amended advice which will enable the NHS to increase patient throughput.

Back to top