Annual IPC Statement

IPC annual statement report

Woodlands Surgery

19^th May 2025

Purpose

This annual statement will be generated each year in May, in accordance with the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Code of Practice on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. The report will be published on the organisation’s website and will include the following summary:

Any infection transmission incidents and any action taken (these will have been reported in accordance with our significant event procedure)
Details of any infection control audits carried out and actions undertaken
Details of any risk assessments undertaken for the prevention and control of infection
Details of staff training
Any review and update of policies, procedures and guidelines

Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Lead

The Lead for infection prevention and control at Woodlands Surgery is Charlotte Pickwick, Clinical Nurse Manager.

The IPC Lead is supported by Deb Chronicle, Practice Manager and Trish O’Donnell, Admin Support.

Infection transmission incidents (significant events)

Significant events involve examples of good practice as well as challenging events.

Positive events are discussed at meetings to allow all staff to be appraised in areas of best practice.

Negative events are managed by the staff member who either identified or was advised of any potential shortcoming. This person will complete a Significant Event Analysis (SEA) form which commences an investigation process to establish what can be learnt and to indicate changes that might lead to future improvements.

All significant events are reviewed and discussed at several meetings each month. Any learning points are cascaded to all relevant staff where an action plan, including audits or policy review, may follow.

In the past year, there have been no significant events raised which related to infection control. There have also been no complaints made regarding cleanliness or infection control.

Infection prevention audit and actions

An IPC Audit was completed in April 2025 and as a result –

laminated posters in all clinical rooms providing information on sharps bins, hand washing and needlestick injuries,
a clinical fridge cleaning rota and log created to ensure that cleaning frequency is logged
staff immunisations currently being administered

Water Quality Testing was completed on behalf of the surgery by Assured Air & Water on the 24/10/24 – Pass, no action required.

A pre-acceptance Waste audit was conducted in April 2025 with the support of Anenta Ltd and as a result –

a yellow lidded sharps bin added in the practice nurse room
waste bins currently being labelled correctly

A handwashing technique audit was carried out on clinical staff and as a result –

soap dispensers found to be ineffective and new wall mounted soap dispensers are in the process of being installed

Staff IPC training – the frequency of training has been updated to ensure that all staff receive their Infection Control training annually.

Antibiotic audits have been completed by the practice Pharmacist and Dr T Meddows.

The Practice plan to carry out the following audits in 2026 –

Annual IPC audit
Annual waste disposal audit
Waste Management Audit
Hand hygiene audit on all non-clinical staff
Cleaning audit

Risk assessments

Risk assessments are carried out so that any risk is minimised and made to be as low as is reasonably practicable. Additionally, a risk assessment that can identify best practice can be established and then followed.

In the last year, the following risk assessments were carried out/reviewed:

Staff vaccinations – all staff have had a Hepatitis B, MMR and Varicella health risk assessment
Cleaning standards risk assessment – we work with our external cleaning contractor to ensure that the premises adheres to the National Standards of Healthcare Cleanliness – a 6 monthly assessment of cleaning processes is conducted with our cleaning contractors to identify areas for improvement and discuss any issues that may have been identified.
Clinical fridges – a cleaning log has been created to monitor and ensure the clinical fridges are being cleaned as per current guidance
Legionella risk assessments – on a weekly basis, the taps are run for two minutes with temperatures checked and logged

In the next year, the following risk assessment will also be reviewed:

Legionella Risk Assessment Review – carried out on behalf of the surgery every two years by Assured Air and Water Ltd
Cleaning standards
Sharps
Staffing – ongoing training, new joiners, staff immunisations

Training

In addition to staff being involved in risk assessments and significant events, at Woodlands Surgery all staff receive IPC induction training on commencing their post. Thereafter, all staff receive refresher training annually via e-learning.

Policies and procedures

The infection prevention and control-related policies and procedures that have been written, updated or reviewed in the last year include, but are not limited to:

Waste Management
Cleaning Standards & Schedule
Laundering of linen, other fabric materials & uniforms
HIV
Pandemic Management
Legionella
Staff Screening & Immunisation
PPE

Policies relating to infection prevention and control are available to all staff and are reviewed and updated annually. Additionally, all policies are amended on an ongoing basis as per current advice, guidance and legislation changes.

Responsibility

It is the responsibility of all staff members at Woodlands Surgery to be familiar with this statement and their roles and responsibilities under it.

Review

The IPC Lead and Trish O’Donnell (admin support) are responsible for reviewing and producing the annual statement.

This annual statement will be updated on or before 19 May 2026.

Signed by

Charlotte Pickwick

For and on behalf of Woodland Surgery

Controlled drugs policy

To ensure the safe and effective prescribing and management of controlled drugs, the surgery may ask some patients to sign a controlled drugs contract.

Where appropriate, the GP will discuss the contract and it’s use with any relevant patient. Copies of the contract are available on request.

Diazepam for the fear of flying

Use of Diazepam (and other benzodiazepines) for Fear of Flying

Woodlands Surgery Policy

We are often asked to prescribe sedative drugs, such as diazepam for fear of flying or to assist with sleep during flights. We have agreed a practice policy that we will no longer prescribe these drugs for fear of flying.

There are several good reasons why prescribing drugs such as diazepam for flying is not safe and no longer recommended:

Diazepam is a sedative, which means it makes you sleepy and more relaxed. If there is an emergency during the flight, it may impair your ability to concentrate, follow instructions and react quickly to the situation. This could have serious safety consequences for yourself and for those around you. Incapacitation from benzodiazepines is a risk to the lives of all on board the aircraft in the event of an emergency requiring evacuation.
Sedative drugs can make you fall into an unnaturally deep, non-REM sleep. This means you won’t move around as much as during natural sleep, increasing your risk of developing a blood clot (DVT) in the leg or lungs. Blood clots are very dangerous and can be fatal. This risk is even greater if your flight is longer than four hours.
Whilst most people find benzodiazepines like diazepam sedating, a small number can experience agitation and aggression. Benzodiazepines can also cause disinhibition and lead you to behave in a way that you would not normally. This could impact on your safety as well as that of other passengers and could also get you into trouble with the law.
The sedative effects of benzodiazepines can affect breathing and cause low oxygen levels, which could be life threatening, especially with lower circulating oxygen levels on an aeroplane, in people with breathing problems or when combined with alcohol.
Diazepam and similar drugs are illegal in several countries. They may be confiscated, or you may find yourself in trouble with the police.
Diazepam stays in your system for quite a while. If your job requires you to submit to random drug testing, you may fail this having taken diazepam.
According to the prescribing guidelines doctors follow (British National Formulary) diazepam is contraindicated (not allowed) for treating phobias (fears). It also states that “the use of benzodiazepines to treat short-term ‘mild’ anxiety is inappropriate.” Your doctor would be taking a significant legal risk by prescribing against these guidelines. They are only licensed short term for a crisis in generalised anxiety. If this is the case, you should be getting proper care and support for your mental health and not travelling on a flight. Fear of flying in isolation is not a generalised anxiety disorder.
NICE guidelines state that medication should not be used for mild and self-limiting mental health disorders. In more significant anxiety related states, benzodiazepines, sedating antihistamines, or antipsychotics should not be prescribed.
A study published in 1997 from the Stanford University School of Medicine showed that there is evidence use of benzodiazepines stops the normal adjustment response that would gradually lessen anxiety over time and therefore perpetuates (and may increase) anxiety in the long term, especially if used repeatedly.

We recognise that fear of flying is real and frightening and we don’t underestimate the impact it can have. We recommend tackling this by using self-help resources or considering one of the ‘Fear of Flying’ courses run by many airlines. We do not recommend any specific course, but you may find the following links useful:

Self-help options: https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/conditions/phobias/self-help/

EasyJet: www.fearlessflyer.easyjet.com

British Airways: www.flyingwithconfidence.com

Virgin: https://flywith.virginatlantic.com/gb/en/wellbeing-and-health/flying-without-fear.html

Flight anxiety does not come under the remit of General Medical Services as defined in the GP contract and so we are not obliged to prescribe for this.

It is important to declare all medical conditions and medications you take to your travel insurer. If not, there is a risk of nullifying any insurance policy you may have.

Commissioner’s details

Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire West ICB
First Floor
Unipart House
Garsington Road
Cowley
OX4 2PG

Telephone: 01296 587220

General enquiries email: bobicb.enquiries@nhs.net

ADHD

Prescribing for ADHD in primary care following consultation with private providers

At Woodlands surgery our primary commitment is to ensure patients receive the best possible care while maintaining transparency and adhering to established guidelines. To this end, we have formulated the following policy statement regarding ‘prescribing for ADHD in primary care following consultation with private providers’

Key considerations:

We understand that due to long NHS waiting lists, some patients opt to have some or all their treatment privately and we support your right to do so.

The decision to prescribe any medication is ultimately down to individual clinicians and whether they feel clinically competent and appropriate to do so.

It is the responsibility of the GP to ensure the ADHD assessment was robust and the correct diagnosis was reached in accordance with NICE principles. They must also be satisfied that pre-treatment and long-term monitoring, was and is, intended to be carried out in line with local guidance. This includes monitoring of appropriate physical observations, ADHD symptoms, psychiatric status and potential for misuse and diversion of medication. Regarding private providers, we do not have the required training to reach this decision and there is no system in place to ensure patients are getting their necessary specialist monitoring.

Therefore, the practice has come to the decision that any new requests from private specialists to prescribe ADHD medication will be declined.

The only exception will be those patients that have been diagnosed through a right to choose provider where an NHS approved shared care protocol is in place.

In accordance with Thames Valley Priorities Committee Commissioning Policy Statement 35- Patients who have been diagnosed and treated privately may be transferred to the NHS and should be re-assessed for NHS treatment.

We are happy to refer to the appropriate clinic for confirmation of diagnosis. Where medication is indicated, the appropriate treatment will be initiated, or existing medication continued according to these guidelines.

We acknowledge that there may be some delay in some patients accessing their medication but ultimately this decision is to ensure patient safety. We understand patients may seek to remain with private providers, where they have the financial means to do so, due to the long waiting lists.

Patients should not be left without the care they need, due to a lack of comprehensive NHS funding, and our local representatives have raised this issue with local funding and decision-making groups. If you also wish to raise this issue, you may want to contact the “planned care team” at the local Integrated Care Board, bobicb.plannedcare@nhs.net , and/or your MP.

Named Accountable GP

Please note that with effect from 1st April 2015 all patients, including children have been allocated a named, accountable GP. Patients can continue to choose to see any GP in the practice in line with current arrangements.

Suggestions or Complaints

We are very happy to receive constructive comments and suggestions for improving our service to patients. Similarly, if you have a complaint we will deal with it in a constructive way. Please speak to one of our receptionists in the first instance, or to our reception team leader. They will do their best to deal with your complaint there and then. If they are unable to resolve the matter, please ask to speak to our practice manager.

ComplaintsCommentsLeaflet 2023

Practice Charter

Woodlands Surgery Philosophy

Our aims are to offer the highest standard of health care and advice to our patients, within the resources available to us.

We have a team approach to patient care and endeavour to monitor the service provided to patients, to ensure that it meets current standards of excellence.

We are dedicated to ensuring that Practice staff and Doctors are trained to the highest level and to provide a stimulating and rewarding environment in which to work.

Our Practice Charter

You will be treated with courtesy and respect by all Practice personnel.
An on the day appointment with a Clinician will be available on the same day, if appropriate.
A non-urgent appointment with a doctor will be offered within 14 working days, where possible
Our standard is to see 80% of patients within 20 minutes of their appointment time. If you have waited longer than this please speak to a Receptionist.
We aim to answer the telephone within six rings.
An appointment with a Practice Nurse will be available within three working days, where applicable.
Requests for repeat prescriptions will be dealt with within 72 hours (3 working days).
If you have a complaint please speak to any member of staff. Your complaint will be dealt with in a professional and efficient manner.
We wish to make the Woodlands Surgery as accessible as possible. If you have hearing, visual or physical difficulties please let the receptionist know so that we can enable you to fully use our services.

Patient’s Responsibilities

If you are unable to attend for an appointment please let us know so that we can offer it to someone else.
If you are late for your appointment you may be asked to re-book at another time. Try to let us know in advance if you are going to be unavoidably delayed, so that we can make alternative arrangements to help you.
A home visit should only be requested for those who are unable to come to the surgery because of serious illness or infirmity. Please ring the surgery before 10:30 am if at all possible.
An on the day appointment is for an on the day medical problem. Please speak to the Receptionist if you require a sick note or repeat prescription.
We would ask you to be patient if the Clinician is running late. This is often due to unforeseeable emergencies but please speak to a Receptionist.
Make a separate appointment for each patient that needs to be seen. This allows the Clinician enough time to treat each patient with the time that they deserve.
Please act in a responsible and courteous manner whilst on the Practice premises for the safety and comfort of others.
Please treat all surgery staff, fellow patients, carers and visitors politely and with respect. Violence or verbal harassment will not be tolerated or accepted, you may be asked to register at another surgery if this behaviour occurs.

Suggestions Or Complaints

We are very happy to receive constructive comments and suggestions for improving our service to patients. Similarly, if you have a complaint we will deal with it in a constructive way. Please speak to one of our receptionists in the first instance, or if this cannot be resolved to our reception. They will do their best to deal with your complaint there and then. For complaints which you feel have not been satisfactorily resolved by speaking to one of the receptionists, please ask to speak to our practice manager.

Confidentiality

We ask you for personal information so that you can receive appropriate care and treatment. This information is recorded on computer and we are registered under the Data Protection Act. The practice will ensure that patient confidentiality is maintained at all times by all members of the practice team. However, for the effective functioning of a multi-disciplinary team it is sometimes necessary that medical information about you is shared between members of the team.

Freedom Of Information – Publication Scheme

The Freedom of Information Act 2000 obliges the practice to produce a Publication Scheme. A Publication Scheme is a guide to the ‘classes’ of information the practice intends to routinely make available. This scheme is available from reception.

Violence and Abuse

We will not tolerate violent behaviour or abuse towards any member of our team. Any such behaviour from patients may result in removal from our list.

Electronic Patient Records

Information Technology (IT)/ELECTRONIC PATIENT RECORDS

New contractual arrangements came into force on 1st April 2014 requiring GP practices to make available a statement of intent about the following IT developments:

Referral Management Information
Online Appointment Booking
Online Booking of repeat prescriptions
Summary Care Record
GP2GP transfers of care records
Patient Access to electronic records.

Please find below details of the arrangements we have in place for these developments at this Practice.

Referral management Information

Practices must include the NHS Number as the primary identifier in all NHS clinical correspondence issued by the practice.

All letters and information that we send to other organisations such as, hospitals, have an NHS number clearly shown.

Electronic appointment booking

Practices are required to promote and offer the facility for all patients, who wish to book, view, amend, cancel and print appointments online.

We currently offer booking and cancelling of a number of appointments online. Please ask at reception for more details about how to register for this service.

Online booking of repeat prescriptions

Practices are required to promote and offer the facility for all patients, who wish to order online, view and print a list of their repeat prescriptions for necessary drugs, medicines or appliances.

Interoperable records / Summary Care Record

Practices are required to upload changes to a patient’s summary information, at least daily, to the Summary Care record.

Having your Summary Care Record available will help other doctors and nurses treating you away from your regular surgery, without your full medical record. They will have access to information about any medication you may be taking and any drugs to which you have a recorded allergy or sensitivity. Click here for more details about the Summary Care Record http://www.nhscarerecords.nhs.uk/

This function is already live. However, if you do not want your medical records to be available in this way please let us know. You can do this via the ‘opt out form’, available at reception, or on our website.

GP2GP transfers of Care Records

We are required to utilise the GP2GP facility for the transfer of patient records between practices, when a patient registers or de-registers.

It is very important that you are registered with a doctor at all times. If you leave your GP and register with a new one, your medical records will be removed from your previous doctor and forwarded to your new GP via NHS England. It can take several weeks for paper records to reach the new surgery; with GP2GP, your electronic record is transferred to your new practice much sooner.

GP2GP transfers are already activated at this practice for sending and receiving patient records.

Patient access to their electronic GP record

We are required to promote and offer the facility for patients to view online, export or print any summary of information from their records relating to medications, allergies, adverse reactions and any other additional details which have been agreed with the patient.