Welcome

Coronavirus (COVID-19)There are 2 appendices available within the NIPCM for acute and community settings which summarise the remaining pandemic measures which exist in addition to the NIPCM and provide links to helpful resources, guidance and policy documents.

For pathogen specific guidance see the A-Z of pathogens.
Public Health Scotland COVID-19 guidance is available.

The NHSScotland National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) was first published on 13 January 2012, by the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO (2012)1), and updated on 17 May 2012 (CNO (2012)1 Update). 

The NIPCM provides IPC guidance to all those involved in care provision and is considered best practice across all health and care settings in Scotland. 

The re-launch of the NIPCM by the CNO on 11 July 2022 emphasises the ongoing importance of application of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) guidance within health and care settings across Scotland. 

Video of Chief Nursing Officer re-launching the NIPCM

Find out more about the NIPCM

You can find out more about the NIPCM by watching the animation or going to the About the manual webpage.

Disclaimer

When an organisation e.g. when a health and care setting uses products or adopts practices that differ from those stated in this National Infection Prevention and Control Manual, that individual organisation is responsible for ensuring safe systems of work including the completion of a risk assessment approved through local governance procedures.

Latest News

• 26 Jan 2023Update to literature review and NIPCM content: Indications and techniques for hand hygiene
• 18 Jan 2023Updated literature review and NIPCM/CH IPCM text - Infection Prevention and Control for Care of the deceased
• 30 Dec 2022New Quality Improvement Tool (QIT) literature review - Insertion and Maintenance of Central Venous Catheters (CVC)
• 29 Dec 2022Updated decontamination technologies literature review: wipes
• 19 Dec 2022Winter preparedness - key infection prevention and control messaging