“In line with ‘COVID-19 Response: Living with COVID-19’, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will shortly be publishing updated infection prevention and control (IPC) guidance for adult social care, replacing the current suite of COVID-19 guidance. This resource sets out long-standing principles of IPC and advice on their application, which will be familiar to the sector. By bringing this together in a single streamlined reference document, the government aims to help set expectations of good IPC practice and support consistency of application across the sector. The updated guidance also includes a COVID 19 supplement, outlining the measures that will continue to be in place to help manage the threat of COVID-19 in care settings, and sits alongside the “COVID-19 testing in Adult Social Care” guidance document which will also be published today.

I would like to thank all those who attended stakeholder workshops and commented on drafts – your input has shaped and improved the guidance – and we have heard about the need for additional resources to support the interpretation and application of the guidance. DHSC will continue to work closely with stakeholders to address these needs, acknowledging that as sector experts and practitioners you know how best to take the principles of IPC and apply these effectively to the areas within which you work.”