Infections can be caused by a range of microorganisms—including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and prions. These can result in a wide variety of infections, for example, urinary tract, wound, respiratory, blood, bone and skin infections.

While not all infections are contagious, some—such as Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile), SARS-CoV-2, influenza, and norovirus—can spread from one person to another. These infections can cause serious outbreaks, especially in hospitals, care homes and other healthcare settings.

Understanding how infections start, how different microorganisms behave, and how they spread is essential to preventing them—not just in healthcare, but in all settings where people receive care. 

We are actively involved in infection prevention issues and practice to support improvements in nursing practice and patient outcomes across the UK. Activity takes place on a national, regional and local level, ranging from representation at national forums, meetings, stakeholder events and site visits to members' workplaces.

Our work in the field of AMR is diverse and complements our IPC activity. We focus on the vital role nurses play in preventing infection and promoting responsible use of antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines. We are proud to lead and influence this work both in the UK and internationally, as part of a wider health care effort in antimicrobial stewardship.

The UKHSA published its first annual report summarising latest infectious disease trends.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported Notifications and GP consultations of scarlet fever in England are higher than normal for this point in the season, after remaining elevated later in the previous season than expected.

Influenza (flu) is a viral infection that primarily affects the lungs and can cause serious respiratory illness. It can also lead to secondary infections, such as pneumonia or sepsis, which can be life-threatening, especially for vulnerable individuals.

Vaccination is the most effective way to reduce the severity and spread of the flu. RCN members are strongly encouraged to stay up to date with their flu vaccinations.

For guidance on preventing the spread of flu in your workplace, please refer to your local infection prevention and control (IPC) policies.

The RCN risk assessment toolkit will support members to select the use of respiratory personal protective equipment in different scenarios.

Useful resources

• RCN position on vaccination (2022).
• UKHSA. Seasonal influenza: guidance, data and analysis.
• Public Health Wales. Flu vaccination and Flu resources for health and social care professionals.
• HSC Public Health Northern Ireland. Seasonal influenza (flu) guidance.
• Public Health Scotland. Influenza guidance.