Cleaning a GP clinic room between patients

Why between-patient cleaning matters

In a busy general practice, dozens of patients pass through the same consult and treatment rooms each day. Hands touch the same couch, desk, chair arms and equipment, so germs can move from one patient to the next on surfaces and shared items. The RACGP's infection prevention and control guidelines for general practices, which build on the NHMRC guidelines, set out how practices manage this. Your practice turns them into its own cleaning procedures and schedule.

After every patient

• Change the couch paper or cover, and wipe the couch if the paper tore, got wet or the patient lay on bare vinyl.
• Wipe shared equipment that touched the patient: blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters, thermometers (or change the probe cover), stethoscope diaphragms and scales.
• Wipe surfaces touched during a procedure, such as the dressing trolley or procedure light handle.
• Dispose of single-use items and sharps at the point of use.
• Clean your hands before you call the next patient in.

Visible blood or body fluids

Clean these up straight away using your practice's spill procedure: gloves, absorb the bulk, clean with detergent and water, then disinfect if your procedure requires it. Don't leave a spill for the end-of-day clean.

At the end of the day

• A detergent clean of the floors, sinks, door handles, light switches, desks, keyboards and chairs in clinical areas.
• Restocking hand rub, gloves, paper towel and couch rolls.
• Emptying waste and checking sharps containers aren't past their fill line.

Using wipes and products properly

• Use the product your practice supplies, and follow the label for contact time — the surface must stay wet for as long as the label says.
• Clean first: wipes don't work well on surfaces that are visibly dirty.
• Wipe from clean to dirty and use a new wipe when one is dirty or dry.
• Check equipment manufacturers' instructions, since some products damage screens and cuffs.

Transmission-based precautions

After a patient with a known or suspected infection, such as gastro or a respiratory illness, your practice may need extra cleaning or disinfection of the room before it's used again. Follow your practice's procedure and ask your practice manager or nurse if you're unsure.