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Good morning everyone,
With the recent changes to the standards, I am seeking clarification regarding the current requirements for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) Leads.
My understanding was that each residential aged care facility (RACF) was required to have a designated IPC Lead. Is this still the expectation under the updated standards, or is it now acceptable for a provider to have a single IPC Lead across multiple RACFs?
For example, where I work, we have three RACFs located on the same site. Our executive team has interpreted the revised standards as requiring only one IPC Lead across all three facilities. However, I have been unable to find any information that either supports or refutes this interpretation.
I would appreciate any guidance, references, or resources that could help clarify the requirements.
Thank you for your assistance.
Kind regards,
Michelle Dodd
Hi Michelle,
Yes, changes were made in Nov 2025
The Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards only make one explicit legislative requirement regarding the IPC Lead: “The provider implements a system for infection prevention and control that is used where funded aged care services are delivered, which identifies an appropriately qualified and trained infection prevention and control lead.” (Action 4.2.1(a))
However, if you read the guidance that accompanies Outcome 4.2, the Commission refers to the responsibilities of the IPC Lead, even though they are not written as legislative actions.
Neither the Aged Care Act 2024 nor the Strengthened Aged Care Quality Standards prescribe that an IPC Lead must be employed at an individual facility. Instead, providers are expected to ensure they have access to an appropriately qualified IPC Lead who can effectively support their IPC system, regardless of how the role is structured.
The structure of the IPC Lead role may vary depending on the provider’s size, complexity, geographic footprint and service delivery model. Common models include: Facility, regional, national, hybrid models.
Hope that helps.
Kind regards Carrie
