Urology and Bowel Management team attends best practice event for the Device-Related Infection Prevention Practice Group
On 17 October 2024 Lauren Field, Category Lead, Rob Owen, Category Manager and Theresa Bowles Clinical Engagement and Implementation Manager for the Urology and Bowel Management framework attended a best practice event for the Device-Related Infection Prevention Practice Group (DRIPP).
DRIPP was established in 2019. It is as a user focussed group of front-line clinicians in acute and community care. Their specialisms include vascular access, urology and continence, and include infection control specialist practitioners and nurse educators. Its aims are to spread the adoption of best practice in device related infection prevention.
With an education grant from Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), in collaboration with several national clinical groups:
- The Infection Prevention Society (IPS)
- The National Infusion and Vascular Access Society (NIVAS)
- The British Association of Urology Nurses (BAUN)
- The Association for Continence Professionals (ACP)
- The Association of Safe Aseptic Practice (ASAP)
… and with endorsement from NHS England, DRIPP has developed an array of evidence based tools for clinicians and nurse educators to use in supporting best practice and harm prevention.
These include a discharge care pathway for patients with urinary catheters, care bundles, complication guidelines and alternative approaches to indwelling catheters. And also case studies demonstrating quality improvement projects which are hosted free of charge on the DRIPP website.
Although it is still in its infancy, the education event ‘Managing Change Workshop’ brought together over 80 clinicians across the UK focussing on intravenous access and urinary catheters and promoting the materials developed so far. There was also an excellent session on Change Management enabling the attendees to build their knowledge of the principles of change, theories and models as well as reflecting on their own experience of using these to improve care standards, patient safety and reduce harm from device related infections.

This valuable event offered a great opportunity for the Urology and Bowel Management team from NHS Supply Chain to learn more about best practice, the barriers to adoption of changes in practice, correct device guidelines as well as stakeholder engagement and networking.
There are plans to continue developing the tools available, so that clinicians can access these free of charge, to support audit, training, and quality improvement projects locally with their trusts.
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