Infection control (IC) activities are facing new challenges, but the resources dedicated to IC are too frequently insufficient. Heterogeneity of resources among centres and countries is huge, a fact that at least partly explains the differences in the results obtained. In this article, we review and discuss the available recommendations for minimum requirements in IC related to organizational aspects, IC staffing and the training of these staff, ward staffing, structural issues, and microbiological support. A professional-based consensus on the minimum requirements for IC in European centres based on present challenges and societal demands is needed.
Keywords: Competencies; cross-infections; healthcare workers; infection control; quality assessment; staffing.
Copyright © 2015 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.