RCN activity in Northern Ireland 

Senior Professional Development Officer Linzi McIlroy is acting as the key link for Northern Ireland in relation to the Wipe it out campaign. Recent activity includes commenting on the review of the RCN publication Best practice in infection control which is currently being revised. Additional activity has centred around development of the infection prevention web pages with a specific emphasis on information for members in Northern Ireland.

Garret Martin, Deputy Director and Senior Officer for Employment Relations, has been working closely with nurses within the Northern Trust and is engaged in supporting those involved in the public inquiry into the outbreaks of clostridium difficile in the hospitals there. Follow the link to the Public Enquiry website.

RCN Northen Ireland is represented on the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS) Hospital Hygiene and Cleanliness Reference Group. This group is drawing together existing standards into an overarching set of standards for hospital hygiene.
 
Previous activity has focused on pandemic influenza with the RCN attending meetings of the Pandemic Influenza Clinical and Operational (PICO) group at the Department of Health in London. Members have also been supported via regular communication briefs between the four countries.
 
In addition, RCN Northern Ireland has been in discussion with the Public Health Agency on nursing representation within its new structures.