Reading List

Official and authoritative sources used to develop this course. They inform practical infection prevention, hand hygiene, PPE, cleaning and decontamination of optical equipment, COSHH compliance, and four-nations IPC signposting.

1. Optical standards and optical guidance

• GOC - Standards for Optical Businesses
  Business standards covering safe care, the clinical environment, regulatory requirements, governance, staff training, supervision and support. Standard 1.2 requires infection-control protocols suitable for the practice.
  https://optical.org/standards-and-guidance/standards/standards-for-optical-businesses.html

• College of Optometrists - Infection control
  Optometry-specific guidance on transmission risks, hand hygiene, equipment cleaning, waste, sharps, incident response and situations of increased concern.
  https://www.college-optometrists.org/clinical-guidance/guidance/safety-and-quality/infection-control

• College of Optometrists - Principles of cleaning, sterilisation and disinfection
  Practical guidance for decontaminating trial frames, chin rests, tonometer heads, diagnostic lenses and similar items. Emphasises that items must be physically clean before disinfection or sterilisation.
  https://www.college-optometrists.org/clinical-guidance/guidance/safety-and-quality/infection-control/principles-of-cleaning%2C-sterilisation-and-disinfec

2. Internal follow-on learning for clinical staff

• GOC Standard 12: Infection Prevention in Optical Practice - covers infectious eye disease, equipment disinfection, incident response and domiciliary infection prevention and control.
• GOC Standard 7: Conducting Appropriate Assessments and Referrals in Optical Practice - covers clinical assessment, red flags, referral urgency, record-keeping and safety-netting.
• GOC Standard 6: Working Within Your Limits of Competence in Optical Practice - covers scope of practice, escalation and managing uncertainty about who should assess or treat a patient.

3. Core IPC framework

• NHS England - National infection prevention and control manual for England
  The England IPC framework for standard precautions, the care environment, equipment management, waste, spillages and occupational exposure.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/national-infection-prevention-and-control-manual-nipcm-for-england/

• NHS England - Chapter 1: Standard infection control precautions
  Operational guidance on hand hygiene, respiratory hygiene, PPE, management of equipment and the care environment, waste, spillages and exposure prevention.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/national-infection-prevention-and-control-manual-nipcm-for-england/chapter-1-standard-infection-control-precautions-sicps/

• NHS England - National hand hygiene and PPE policy
  Policy on when and how to use hand hygiene and personal protective equipment across care settings.
  https://www.england.nhs.uk/patient-safety/standard-infection-control-precautions-national-hand-hygiene-and-personal-protective-equipment-policy/

4. COSHH, cleaning products and four-nations IPC

• HSE - COSHH
  Guidance on controlling substances hazardous to health, including workplace cleaning chemicals.
  https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/

• NHSScotland - National Infection Prevention and Control Manual
  The Scottish IPC manual for health and care settings in Scotland.
  https://www.nipcm.scot.nhs.uk/

• Public Health Wales - National Infection Prevention and Control Manual
  Wales signposting for the national IPC manual and related arrangements.
  https://phw.nhs.wales/services-and-teams/antibiotics-and-infections/nipcm/

• Northern Ireland Regional Infection Prevention and Control Manual
  The Northern Ireland IPC manual for standard precautions and related infection-control practice.
  https://www.niinfectioncontrolmanual.net/

Always use these sources alongside your employer's current SOPs, manufacturer instructions, local public health advice and the limits of your role.