Hospitals are required to be efficient, cost effective and above all, safe for patients, visitors and staff. Patients who acquire nosocomial infections usually stay in hospital longer, utilise more resources and become the source of other infections. Staff may also contract occupationally acquired infections which can range from being mild to life threatening.
During the l 970's, the need to reduce the incidence of infections in hospitals saw the introduction of multidisciplinary Infection Control Committees vested with the responsibility to develop, implement, evaluate and modify control measures aimed at reducing nosocomial infections.
Infection Control Practitioners were appointed with the delegated authority to manage Infection Control Sections on a day-to-day basis, ensuring pro-active programs, focused directly on infection prevention. The need to develop and promote strategies which protect staff from acquiring blood borne diseases has strengthened the need for infection control in health care settings.