IPC Partners

This IPC Journal Club session, hosted by IPC Partners in partnership with the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS), exploring the integration of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) from a global perspective. 🗓️ Recorded: 5 November 2025 ⏱️ Duration: 59 minutes 🎙️ Speakers: Dr. Jon Otter – Director of IPC, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust Dr. Phil Norville – CEO, IPC Partners Chaired by Dr. Elisabeth Ridgway – President, Healthcare Infection Society 🔍 What’s Covered: 1. Fighting AMR in Resource-Limited Settings Dr. Jon Otter presents findings from a cross-sectional study in Sierra Leone, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of integrating IPC and AMS in low-income healthcare systems. He discusses infrastructure gaps, the absence of microbiology labs, and the potential of combining IPC and AMS committees to improve outcomes. 2. Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) as a Novel Decontaminant Dr. Phil Norville introduces CAP as a promising environmental decontamination technology. He explains its broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, potential use in occupied spaces, and its role in reducing healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance. 3. Panel Discussion and Q&A The session includes a lively discussion on the feasibility of integrated IPC/AMS models, training needs, policy implications, and the future of novel technologies like CAP. Audience polls and real-world insights from different healthcare settings enrich the conversation. 📚 Related Reading: Fofanah et al. (2025). Fighting antimicrobial resistance in a resource-limited setting: an integrated approach to IPC and AMS. Journal of Hospital Infection, 161:132–134. Humphreys & Daniels (2025). Cold atmospheric plasma as an alternative decontaminant. JHI, 155:231–233. 🔗 Learn more at ipcpartners.org and his.org.uk

This Webber Teleclass, aired on 23/10/2025 and chaired by Dr Jean-Yves Maillard was an interactive discussion between Dr Curtis Donskey and Dr Jon Otter about whether current healthcare cleaning and disinfection guidelines are sufficient to prevent the transmission of pathogens that cause HCAI and spread antimicrobial resistance. It was fascinating to hear perspective from both sides of the Atlantic on these issues, with some areas of agreement and a few differences of opinion! Thanks to Webber Training for this recording to share. Enjoy!

🔬 IPC Journal Club | Proactive Whole Genome Sequencing for IPC – Is It Worth It? 📅 Recorded: 22 October 2025 | ⏱ Duration: 47m 30s Join us for a compelling IPC Journal Club session featuring Dr James Price from University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, as he explores the cost-effectiveness and practical implications of integrating whole genome sequencing (WGS) into infection prevention and control (IPC) workflows. Hosted by Dr Phil Norville, this session dives into a recent paper published in the Journal of Hospital Infection, co-authored by Dr Price, which evaluates the economic impact of rapid SARS-CoV-2 sequencing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The discussion covers: ✅ Real-world implementation challenges ✅ IPC decision-making and outbreak management ✅ Cost neutrality and operational feasibility ✅ Future applications beyond COVID-19 ✅ Audience Q&A on IPC strategy, genomics, and health economics Whether you're an IPC professional, researcher, or healthcare leader, this session offers valuable insights into how genomics could reshape IPC practices—from reactive to proactive. 📌 Subscribe for more IPC Journal Club sessions 📢 Share with your teams and networks 💬 Leave your thoughts and questions in the comments! #IPC #Genomics #WholeGenomeSequencing #InfectionControl #HealthcareInnovation #COVID19 #HealthEconomics #JournalClub