Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Committee
The Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Advisory Committee provides a mechanism for the Commission to consult with experts and key stakeholders on matters which support the implementation of the National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and the HAI and IPC program.
About the Committee
The role of the HAI Advisory Committee is to:
- Provide advice to support the implementation of the Commission’s Work Plan, in relation to HAI/IPC, as requested by the Commission. This includes advice on the development and review of Commission guidance and resources.
- Provide advice on resources to support the implementation, and compliance with, the National Safety and Quality Health Service (NSQHS) Standards, in particular the Preventing and Controlling Infections Standard and other resources, such as the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare.
- Consider relevant data and reports to inform the provision of advice on effective IPC strategies, across all sectors of health care, to promote improved patient care. This includes opportunities to promote consistent approaches to HAI surveillance and IPC, as appropriate.
- Provide advice to the Commission on hand hygiene matters, including:
- Strategic aspects of the national hand hygiene audit data, as it becomes available
- Areas for improvement with regards to specific hand hygiene practice
- Opportunities to leverage improvements made in hand hygiene, broadly or in specific clinical areas and healthcare worker groups, to enhance compliance with the standard precautions
- Promotion of the implementation of the standard precautions bundle, inclusive of hand hygiene, across various clinical settings.
- Advise the Commission on implementation aspects of HAI/IPC programs at local and jurisdictional levels, including opportunities for the Commission to engage with clinicians and consumers to obtain feedback on enhancement of HAI/IPC programs.
- Consider strategies that will positively impact on, and facilitate engagement with, consumers in their role in infection prevention.
- Provide opportunity for sharing data and information on policies, processes and professional issues related to HAI and IPC.
- Provide the opportunity for members to bring attention to issues that the Commission could respond to, to enhance IPC in Australia.
HAI Advisory Committee membership
- Professor Peter Collignon AM, Infectious Diseases Physician and Microbiologist (Chair)
- Associate Professor Caroline Marshall, Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases nominee
- Associate Professor Philip Russo, Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control (ACIPC) nominee
- Dr Louise Flood, Communicable Diseases Network Australia nominee
- Ms Sandra Roodt, Representative for the Australian Capital Territory
- Ms Kathy Dempsey, Representative for New South Wales
- Mrs Kathryn O’Brien, Representative for Queensland
- Ms Samantha Butenko, Representative for South Australia
- Ms Fiona Wilson, Representative for Tasmania
- Ms Lisa Nicolaou, Representative for Western Australia
- Ms Mary-Rose Godsell, Representative for Northern Territory
- Ms Bernadette Kennedy, Representative for Victoria
- Associate Professor John Ferguson, Technical Expert (Infectious diseases, clinical microbiology)
- Ms Belinda Henderson, Technical Expert (Infection prevention and control)
- Associate Professor Lisa Hall, Technical Expert (Epidemiology)
- Professor John Turnidge AO, Technical Expert (Infectious diseases, clinical microbiology)
- Dr Bernadette Eather, Technical Expert (private health services)
- Ms Kim Stewart, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care
- Ms Anne Crouch, Technical Expert (day procedure services)
- Associate Professor Stéphane Bouchoucha, ACIPC proxy nominee