This aide-memoire provides best practice recommendations to ensure clinical staff, estates and facilities staff, and Infection Prevention and Control Teams (IPCT) have an understanding of the preventative measures required and the appropriate actions that should be implemented in the event of a healthcare ventilation system-associated infection incident/outbreak.

This aide-memoire should be used until new evidence based guidance forming Chapter 4 of the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) is available.

Evidence is derived from outbreak reports, (Scottish and International) and the HPS rapid review of HAI Infection Risks and Outbreaks Associated with Healthcare Ventilation Systems.

It is available in Chapter 3 of the NIPCM at http://www.nipcm.hps.scot.nhs.uk/web-resources-container/prevention-and-management-of-healthcare-ventilation-system-associated-infection-incidentsoutbreaks/