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Infection control audit checklist
An infection prevention and control audit for a care home, clinic or other care setting. It covers management and training, the environment and cleaning, hand hygiene and protective equipment, sharps, waste and laundry, shared equipment and readiness for an outbreak, then lists each finding with a risk, an action and an owner. Every question is listed below, and you can fill the live form in on this page.
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What should an infection control audit cover?
An infection control audit should cover the policy, the named lead and staff training, the cleanliness of the environment and the cleaning schedules, hand hygiene facilities and practice, the supply and use of protective equipment, sharps, waste and laundry, the cleaning of shared equipment such as commodes and hoists, and whether staff know what to do if an outbreak is suspected.
Last updated . Facts checked by the SiteSurvey team on 5 October 2026 against regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, Health and Social Care Act 2008: code of practice on the prevention and control of infections and NHS England: National infection prevention and control manual, chapter 1 (standard infection control precautions).
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Every question in the infection control audit template
Infection control audit for a care home or clinic: management, cleanliness, hand hygiene, protective equipment, sharps and waste, laundry, equipment and outbreaks. 7 sections and 64 questions. Follow-up questions and guidance appear only when an answer calls for them, so the person on site never sees the ones that do not apply.
Make it your own: every question is editable
This is a starting point, not a fixed form. Once it is in your SiteSurvey account you can reword any question, add or remove questions, sections and answer options, and add your own logo, so it fits the way your team works and the jobs you do.
Details you only enter once
Add this form to a project in SiteSurvey and it fills in what the project already knows, so nobody on site retypes it and every form on the job uses the same names. Anything filled in can still be changed.
- Project: the project name
- Provider: the project's customer
- Home or service: the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
- Address: the site address, from the space or the project
Details
Where you audited and who leads on infection control.
- ProjectShort answer
Filled in from the project in SiteSurvey.
Fills in from the project name - ProviderShort answerFills in from the project's customer
- Home or service*Short answerFills in from the site, when the form is opened for a space or a product
- AddressShort answerFills in from the site address, from the space or the project
- Date of audit*Date
- AuditorShort answer
- Areas auditedShort answer
- Infection prevention and control leadShort answer
- Was the auditor independent of the area audited?Yes or No
- GuidanceIn England, the code of practice under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 sets ten criteria that registered providers of health and adult social care must be able to show they meet, and the Care Quality Commission uses it when judging compliance. It expects evidence of a rolling programme of audit. This form is one way to record that audit: it does not list every requirement of the code.
Management and training
Systems, policies and people.
- There is an up to date infection prevention and control policy that staff can findChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- A named lead is responsible for infection prevention and controlChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- The infection prevention and control lead's annual statement on compliance with the code has been produced and reviewedChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Staff have had infection control training in the last yearChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- There is a programme of audits, and actions from the last one are completeChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Staff know not to work with symptoms of infection, and when they can returnChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Residents and visitors are given information about infections when it is neededChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- NotesNotes
Environment and cleaning
Walk the building.
- Rooms, corridors and communal areas are visibly clean and free of clutterChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Cleaning schedules are in place and signedChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Colour-coded cloths and mops are used and stored correctlyChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Bathrooms and toilets are clean, with soap and towelsChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Furniture and floor coverings are intact and can be wiped cleanChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Kitchenettes and fridges are clean, with food covered and datedChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- NotesNotes
Hand hygiene and protective equipment
What staff have and what they do.
- Alcohol handrub is available where care is givenChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Handwash sinks have liquid soap, paper towels and a foot-operated binChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Staff are bare below the elbows when giving careChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Gloves, aprons and masks are available near where they are neededChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Protective equipment is changed between residents and between tasksChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Used protective equipment is disposed of correctlyChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- NotesNotes
Sharps, waste and laundry
Where infection leaves the room.
- Sharps bins are assembled correctly, labelled, dated and not filled above the lineChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Sharps bins are out of reach of residents and visitorsChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Waste is separated into the correct bags and binsChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- The waste store is locked and cleanChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Clean and used linen are kept and moved separatelyChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Soiled linen goes into the correct bags and is not sorted by handChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- The laundry has a flow from dirty to cleanChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- NotesNotes
Equipment and outbreaks
Shared equipment, and readiness for an outbreak.
- Commodes, bedpans and hoists are clean, including underneathChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Mattresses and cushions are intact and checkedChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Single-use items are not reusedChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Shared equipment is cleaned between residentsChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- Staff know what to do, and who to tell, if an outbreak is suspectedChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- A resident with an infection can be cared for in their own room with their own equipmentChoose one
- Yes
- Partly
- No
- Not applicable
- NotesNotes
Findings and actions
One entry for each thing to put right.
- Are there findings to record?Yes or No
- FindingsRepeat for each finding. Each one asks:Shown when “Are there findings to record?” is Yes
- Area*Choose one
- Management and training
- Environment and cleaning
- Hand hygiene
- Protective equipment
- Sharps and waste
- Laundry
- Equipment
- Outbreak readiness
- Other (describe)
- RiskChoose one
- High
- Medium
- Low
- What did you find?*Notes
- ActionNotes
- WhoShort answer
- By whenDate
- PhotosPhotos
Do not photograph residents or anything that identifies them.
- Date completedDate
- FindingsWorked out by the formShown when “Are there findings to record?” is Yes
- High riskWorked out by the formShown when “Are there findings to record?” is Yes
- Overall*Choose one
- Good: minor points only
- Needs improvement
- Serious concerns: act now
- SummaryNotes
- Next audit dueDate
- Auditor nameShort answer
- Auditor signatureSignature
- Manager nameShort answer
- Manager signatureSignature
See it filled in
A completed infection control audit report, made by SiteSurvey from a fictional site visit: every answer, the photos, the guidance that applied and the sign-off, ready to send as a PDF.
Infection control audit FAQs
Is an infection control audit required?
In England, regulation 12(2)(h) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 requires registered providers to assess the risk of, and prevent, detect and control the spread of, infections. The code of practice under the 2008 Act sets ten criteria that the Care Quality Commission uses when judging compliance, and it expects evidence of a rolling programme of audit. This form is one way to record that audit: it does not list every requirement of the code.
How are the checks answered?
Each check is yes, partly, no or not applicable, with a notes box for each section. Anything that needs putting right goes on the findings page with the area, a High, Medium or Low risk, the action, who will do it and by when.
What does it check on sharps and waste?
That sharps bins are assembled correctly, labelled, dated, not filled above the line and out of reach of residents and visitors, that waste is separated into the correct bags and bins, and that the waste store is locked and clean. NHS England's infection prevention and control manual says sharps containers should be labelled with where they came from and the date, and disposed of when the manufacturer's fill line is reached.
Does it cover laundry and equipment?
Yes. Clean and used linen kept and moved separately, soiled linen in the correct bags and not sorted by hand, a dirty to clean flow in the laundry, commodes, bedpans and hoists clean including underneath, mattresses intact, single-use items not reused and shared equipment cleaned between residents.
Can photos be attached?
Yes, to each finding. The form reminds you not to photograph residents or anything that identifies them.
Who signs the audit?
The auditor and the manager, on the device, with an overall result and the date the next audit is due. In the SiteSurvey app it works offline and syncs when the device is back online, and the record goes out as a PDF or a share link.
Related
Related templates
Templates that go with the infection control audit form
Observation audit using WHO's five moments: each opportunity, the staff group, what was done, a compliance percentage, facilities and feedback to the team.
A cleaning quality audit and housekeeping inspection, area by area, with a pass score, chemical and waste checks, actions and sign-off by the auditor and the cleaning supervisor.
Manager's quality audit of a care home, set out under CQC's five key questions: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led, with findings and actions.
Legionella risk assessment for a hot and cold water system: who is responsible, tanks and heaters, outlet temperatures, little-used outlets, findings and actions.
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