The Role of Infection Prevention and Control in Local Public Health Units
Terri Butcher1
1Western Health
Towards the end of 2020, after combatting Australia’s largest COVID-19 outbreak, the Victorian Premier announced the Government’s intention to establish Local Public Health Units (LPHU) “to ensure tailored and localised responses can be quickly established for future outbreaks.”
The Western Public Health Unit (WPHU) was the first LPHU to incorporate an Infection Prevention and Control Clinical Nurse Consultant (IPC CNC) in an ongoing position.
The role of an IPC CNC in a LPHU was uncharted in Victoria and provided WPHU with the opportunity to develop a role that supported the needs of both the community and the LPHU.
Challenges in developing this role were many. Relationships and communication needed to be developed with both leaders in high risk settings and between teams providing Infection Prevention services; risks had to be identified; and actions to minimise infection transmission prioritised.
IPC CNCs in public health have a role in preventing and minimising disease transmission in many community settings. The role needs to be dynamic and evolve in response to the public health needs of the community it supports
Biography:
Terri has worked in Infection Prevention and Control since 2001. In 2020 she was seconded to the Western Health COVID-19 response team, resulting in her leading the internal contact tracing team for both patients and staff associated with Western Health. In April 2021 Terri joined the Western Public Health Unit, taking on one of the first Infection Prevention roles in a Victorian Local Public Health Unit.