At the recent Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) conference, deadly fungal infections, increasing drug-resistance, and rapidly mutating viruses were all high on the agenda. Learning lessons from the past, effective diagnostics, and ensuring preparedness will be key. Louise Frampton reports.
Taking place at the National Conference Centre in Birmingham, the IPC 2025 Conference cast a light on the emerging threats and 'killer diseases hiding in plain sight' — from Azole-resistant fungal infections to the emerging threat of multi-drug-resistant bacteria in hospital water. This was in addition to tackling the ongoing risks of surgical site infection and catheter-related infections, which continue to place a burden on the NHS, as well as causing significant pain and suffering for patients.
IPC 2025 opened with a thought-provoking reflection on the recent past; the pandemic provided an opportunity to learn some difficult lessons around resilience and preparedness, and the findings and ambitions of the COVID-19 inquiry set the scene for the first sessions of the Conference.
Rose Gallagher MBE, Royal College of Nursing Professional Lead IPC/Sustainability, gave an insight into the Inquiry, explaining that RCN has made a significant contribution to the evidence provided. This has included an extensive document review of over 30,000 documents, drafting detailed witness statements, attending hearings and promoting a listening exercise on social media and at the RCN Congress.
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