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Optimised Medical Supplies Ltd

UK supplier of medical equipment, PPE, surgical supplies and specialist medical transport.

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© 2026 Optimised Medical Supplies Ltd. All rights reserved.
Registered in England & Wales, company no. 14185351.

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    1. Home
    2. Resources
    3. Care Home Operations
    4. CQC Infection Prevention and Control: A Supplies Checklist

    Care Home Operations

    CQC Infection Prevention and Control: A Supplies Checklist

    A practical supplies checklist for care providers preparing for a CQC inspection — hand hygiene, PPE, cleaning, waste and the records inspectors ask to see.

    OMS Clinical Team

    Product Specialists

    24 July 20265 min read

    Keep reading

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    Infection prevention and control is assessed under the CQC safe key question, and inspectors look at practice rather than paperwork alone. Most of what they check depends on something being physically available at the point of care. This checklist covers the supplies side — what should be present, where, and what evidence supports it.

    Hand sanitiser, aprons, gloves and surface wipes ready for an infection control audit
    Hand sanitiser, aprons, gloves and surface wipes ready for an infection control audit

    Hand hygiene

    • Liquid soap and paper towels at every clinical wash basin
    • Alcohol hand rub available at the point of care, not only at entrances
    • Dispensers working, filled and in date
    • Hand hygiene technique poster displayed at basins
    • Moisturiser available to protect skin integrity

    Personal protective equipment

    • Gloves stocked in a full size range including XS and XL
    • Disposable aprons available at every point of care
    • Type IIR masks and eye protection available where splash is foreseeable
    • PPE stored clean, dry and off the floor
    • Donning and doffing guidance displayed where PPE is stored
    Infection control consumables organised at a care home point of use
    Infection control consumables organised at a care home point of use

    Cleaning and decontamination

    • Colour-coded cleaning equipment in use and correctly separated
    • Chlorine-releasing agent available for blood and body fluid spills
    • Spill kit accessible and complete
    • Cleaning schedules displayed and signed
    • COSHH data sheets available for every chemical in use

    Waste and sharps

    • Correct colour-coded waste streams at every point of production
    • Sharps containers assembled, labelled, dated and below the fill line
    • Containers within reach of the point of use
    • Secure storage for waste awaiting collection
    • Consignment notes retained
    Inspectors rarely ask whether you have a policy. They ask a member of staff to show them where the spill kit is.
    OMS Clinical Team

    Records that support the supplies

    • IPC policy reviewed within the last twelve months
    • Staff IPC and hand hygiene training records
    • Hand hygiene audit results with actions taken
    • Waste consignment notes and sharps collection records
    • Batch and expiry traceability for regulated consumables

    Dispatch notes from Optimised Medical Supplies include batch and lot numbers and expiry dates for regulated medical devices and consumables, which supports traceability at inspection.

    ···

    Optimised Medical Supplies supplies infection prevention consumables to care home groups across the UK. Order before 4pm for next-day dispatch on stocked lines.

    Frequently asked questions

    What supplies does CQC expect for infection control?
    Inspectors look for liquid soap and paper towels at clinical basins, alcohol hand rub at the point of care, a full range of glove sizes, aprons and masks, colour-coded cleaning equipment, a complete spill kit and correctly assembled sharps containers.
    Where should alcohol hand rub be placed?
    At the point of care, not only at building entrances. Hand hygiene has to be possible at the moment it is needed, which usually means dispensers in corridors, at bedsides and on trolleys.
    What records support an IPC inspection?
    An IPC policy reviewed within the last twelve months, staff training records, hand hygiene audit results with actions, waste consignment notes, and batch and expiry traceability for regulated consumables.
    All resources

    On this page

    • Hand hygiene
    • Personal protective equipment
    • Cleaning and decontamination
    • Waste and sharps
    • Records that support the supplies