Protecting your health from infection

Infection prevention control is a practical evidenced-based approach preventing avoidable infections from causing harm to people.

Vaccination  

After clean water, vaccination is the most effective public health intervention in the world for saving lives and promoting good health. See the NHS website for information on vaccinations.

Screening  

Screening is a process of identifying people who may be at increased risk of a disease or condition. Find out more about NHS screening.

Hand hygiene 

Washing your hands is one of the easiest ways to protect yourself and others from illnesses.  The NHS website shows you the best way to wash your hands.

Respiratory hygiene   

Good respiratory hygiene and use of a tissue followed by hand washing has shown to help prevent the spread of infections such as the common cold, flu, COVID-19 and norovirus. We recommend: 

Catch it, Bin it, Kill it. 

• Catch it: always carry tissues and use them to catch your coughs and sneezes 
• Bin it: dispose of your tissues as soon as possible 
• Kill it: clean your hands as soon as possible 

Environments  

Keeping your environment clean, dry, and free from clutter will reduce the spread of germs.  

This is particularly relevant in food preparation and high touch areas. These include kitchens, door handles, light switches, keyboards and mice and IT equipment. 

Hot soapy water is normally all you need to remove most germs that can cause diseases. 

Ventilation 

Ventilation is an effective measure to reduce the risk of some respiratory infections. It dilutes and disperses the pathogens which cause them. Even opening windows a small amount can be beneficial. Get more information on ventilation.