Epic4: Guidelines for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections
About the guidelines
Epic4 is an update of the Epic3 (2014) guideline for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections in hospitals in England.
Epic3 is a NICE accredited guideline based on a rigorous systematic review of evidence and the involvement of key stakeholders in the scoping and evaluation process. The guideline informs infection prevention and control policy and practice across all NHS and private healthcare settings in the UK.
Epic4 is being undertaken as a collaboration between two professional societies, the Healthcare Infection Society and the Infection Prevention Society, with the University of West London, and began in March 2024.
About the guidelines
The updating of the Epic3 guideline is being undertaken as a collaboration between two professional societies, the Healthcare Infection Society and the Infection Prevention Society, and the University of West London, commencing in March 2024.
The full scope of the new guideline will be agreed by a multiprofessional group and lay representatives in Spring 2024, but is likely to provide guidance applicable across acute and non-acute healthcare settings and include the following:
- preventing infections associated with urethral catheters, expanding scope to short- and long-term catheters
- preventing infections associated with intravascular devices in acute and non-acute healthcare settings
- preventing healthcare associated pneumonia
- preventing infection associated with enteral feeding in acute and non-acute healthcare settings
Members
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Guideline development group
- Professor Heather Loveday - Richard Wells Research Centre, University of West London
- Professor Jennie Wilson - Richard Wells Research Centre, University of West London
- Dr Neil Wigglesworth - Senior Lecturer in IPC, Richard Wells Research Centre, University of West London
- Martin Kiernan - Visiting Professor, Richard Wells Research Centre, University of West London
- Dr Carolynn Greene - Post-doctoral Researcher, Richard Wells Research Centre, University of West London
- Dr Aggie Bak - Researcher in Evidence Synthesis, Healthcare Infection Society
- Dr Surabhi Taori - Clinical Microbiologist - Healthcare Infection Society
- Dr Jacqui Prieto - Associate Professor, Infection Prevention Society and University of Southampton
- Lois Woods - Information Scientist, University of Southampton
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Guideline advisory group
We currently have representation from the following organisations and groups:
- Antimicrobial Resistance & Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland
- Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care (ACPRC)
- British Association of Critical Care Nurses (BACCN)
- British Association of Urological Surgeons (BAUS)
- British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC)
- Infection Prevention Society Sustainability Special Interest Group
- Infection Prevention Society Care Home Special Interest Group
- Infection Prevention Society Intravenous (IV) Forum
- National Infusion and Vascular Access Society (NIVAS)
- Patient and public involvement (PPI)
- Public Health Agency (Northern Ireland)
- Public Health Wales
- The British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (BAPEN)
- UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
Guideline development
Scoping
A link to the systematic review protocols will appear here once registered.
As part of the guideline development for epic4, we are interested in consulting with stakeholders to provide feedback on its scope. We are interested in hearing from infection prevention and control practitioners working in acute or community care, and clinicians in the fields of urology, continence, respiratory medicine, enteral nutrition, intensive/critical care or intravascular therapy. We also would like to hear from patients, residents, their families or carers, or patient support organisations who have been impacted by issues around device-related healthcare associated infections.
Consultation
- We expect consultation on the draft guidelines to begin in May 2025.
Publication
- We aim to publish the epic4 guidelines in autumn 2025.
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