Infection Control

Infection Control Department

At Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital we aim to promote a healthy and safe environment by preventing transmission of infectious agents among patients, staff and visitors. This is accomplished by constantly monitoring our services, consulting with patients, visitors and staff, and modifying our services based on feedback, internal evaluations, regulations, standards, scientific studies and guidelines.
We are very much aware that Healthcare Acquired Infections (HCAI) causes considerable distress to patients and their families by prolonging hospital stay. As a result, we have always taken a highly proactive approach in trying to reduce the risk for patients, public and our staff.

Infection Control Team

We have a dedicated Infection Control Team consisting of Consultant Microbiologist and Infection Control Clinical Nurse Specialist. The team is supported at ward level by Infection Control link nurses as a means of improving practice at clinical level.

The Infection Control Team provides expert knowledge and guidance on matters relating to prevention and control of infection

The infection control team reports directly to Hospital Management Group and the HSE Board receives regular updates on infection control reports.
To view our annual reports on infection control, please click on the links below.

Annual Report 2023

What can you do to help?

Patients

Always Clean Your Hands: Please wash your hands – especially before eating and after using the toilet.  There are sinks and alcohol rub available in all patient areas. Cleaning hands will protect you from acquiring infection during your stay.

• Ask Staff To Wash Their Hands: All healthcare workers are aware of the importance of hand hygiene. Please feel free to ask them if they have cleaned their hands before treating you.
  Reduce clutter: Please keep personal belongings in the lockers provided and only bring essential items into hospital. Keeping wards free from clutter makes it easier to clean
•  Inform Ward Staff: If you feel that your ward or bathroom area is not clean and needs attention please inform ward staff immediately.
• Tell staff immediately if a wound dressing becomes loose or if an intravenous cannula site becomes red or painful.
• Remember Hand Hygiene is the Single Most Effective Means of  Preventing the Spread of Infection

Visitors

As you can imagine, with over 60,000 patients passing through our doors each year, maintaining a clean environment remains an increasing challenge in such a busy hospital. In order to protect the patients and yourselves please follow these simple guidelines when visiting:

• Do Not Visit if you are unwell. Please make sure you are free of symptoms for at least two days before you visit someone in hospital, especially if your symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, temperature, cold and/or cough.
• Report any unclean areas to a member of staff so immediate action can be taken
• Limit the number of visitors around the bed to two people
• Follow ward staff advice when visiting a patient being nursed in an isolation room
• Do not sit on the patient’s bed – please use the chairs provided
• Do not let children crawl or play on the floor or over the bed
• Dispose of any rubbish such as sweet wrappers, flower wrappings, newspapers etc in the household bins provided on the ward.
• Avoid bringing food into the hospital for your relatives other than biscuits, fruit, sweets (all of which should be covered).

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY

Please use the hand sanitizer before and after you visit the ward. Dispensers are situated at the entrance to all the wards and also at the patients’ bed side.

Contact Us:

Consultant Microbiologist:	Dr Susan Knowles                                      01 664 4661
Clinical Nurse Specialists:	Sinead Fitzgerald/ Margie McCarthy       or via switch Bleep 48