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Infection Control Matters

Brett Mitchell

We are a group of professionals who work in the field of infectious disease and infection prevention and control. In this podcast series, we discuss new research and issues on the topic of infection prevention and control.

We will pick new papers of interest and will discuss them, often with an author of the paper who can give us some insights into the research that go beyond the written paper. We are unfunded and do not accept solicitations from companies or marketeers.

Authors will include nurses, doctors, academics, clinicians, administrators and leaders.

We should stress that all of our comments relate to our own opinions and that they do not necessarily reflect those institutions and employers that we relate to.

We welcome comment, suggestions and ideas. Please consider subscribing for updates and to find collections of topic specific podcasts at www.infectioncontrolmatters.com

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  • 24 episodes
  • fortnightly
  • Avg 24 min
  • English

Episodes 24

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  • S3 · E174
    Dec 17, 2025 · 48 min

    2025 Christmas Special

    This is our traditional end of year Christmas special. In this episode we consider highlights from year and have a bit of fun - including a stakeout in London. We talk about our views on the most significant systematic review, our favourite presentation/poster, RCTs would like to see and predictions for 2026.

  • S3 · E173
    Dec 10, 2025 · 18 min

    Unseen Reservoirs, Unseen Risks: Integrating Wastewater Surveillance with Patient-Level Insights into C. auris Spread

    In this episode, Martin talks to Dr Jon Otter, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London, UK. We examine two complementary pieces of work that provide further insight into Candidozyma auris transmission in acute hospitals. The first demonstrates, for the first time in the UK, that ward-level wastewater reliably mirrors patient colonisation and can reveal genetically related outbreak strains using culture and PCR. The second, a case–control study, identifies clinical and environmental risk factors that shape colonisation, highlighting the significance of shared patient equipment. The paper can be found here: Davidson HC, Griffin AE, Symes L, Laing KG, Witney AA, Gould K, et al. Detection of Candidozyma (formerly Candida) auris from ward wastewater during an outbreak using culture and molecular methods. J Hosp Infect 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2025.10.024 A copy of the poster can be downloaded here

  • S3 · E172
    Nov 26, 2025 · 24 min

    Can ward rounds transform IPC education?

    In this episode, Martin speaks with Helen Dunn, Consultant Nurse at Great Ormond Street Hospital, a Children's Hospital in London, UK. Helen is the lead author of a recent study published in the Journal of Infection Prevention, exploring whether structured ward rounds can be used as an innovative method for delivering Infection Prevention and Control education directly in the clinical environment. This work implemented a bedside ward-round model with Band 6 nurses in a paediatric cardiac high-dependency unit, using a structured assessment tool to prompt real-time, patient-focused discussions. The findings highlight that this approach created frequent education opportunities, strengthened relationships between clinical teams and IPC practitioners, and reduced the number of IPC interventions required over time. Dunn H, Blackburn P, Cloutman-Green E. Can ward rounds be used by infection prevention control teams to deliver education and enhance knowledge to clinical staff. J Infect Prev 2025;26(6):17571774251366930. https://doi.org/10.1177/17571774251366930. Article on Schulman's Signature Pedagogies here

  • S3 · E171
    Nov 12, 2025 · 21 min

    Reducing harm at the Front Line: Oral Care driving down C. difficile and Line Care - the Power of Better Data

    In this episode, Martin spoke to the authors of two compelling posters showcased at the 2025 Infection Prevention Society Conference in Brighton, each discussing practical, data-driven approaches to reducing avoidable harm. Download the posters and have a listen to two authors with a passion for their projects. First, Catherine Lemsalu, a Dental Nurse from the IPC Team at University Hospital Plymouth discusses her quality-improvement work on an acute stroke ward, demonstrating how structured mouth-care assessment, targeted staff education, and consistent daily oral care contributed to reductions in non-ventilated hospital-acquired pneumonia and Clostridioides difficile infections. Her poster highlights how simple, early interventions—done well—can strengthen antimicrobial stewardship, improve patient outcomes, and build ward-level capability through mouth-care champions. We then explored the development of a national surveillance framework and digital tool for vascular access device–related bloodstream infections (VAD-BSI) with Sue Rowlands from The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust. Their multidisciplinary initiative has created a standardised, user-friendly approach to classifying VAD-BSI, identifying risk factors, and generating automated visual outputs that support local reporting, audit, and education. Early pilot data show strong usability, enhanced insight into bloodstream infection epidemiology, and meaningful impact on line-care practice. Posters can be downloaded here: Reduction of hospital-acquired pneumonia and Clostridioides difficile infections through focused line care Developing a surveillance framework and digital tool for Vascular Access Device-Related Bloodstream Infections (VAD-BSI): improving patient safety through local data and national insight

Showing 21–24 of 24 episodes