Muriel Dunnigan
Muriel is a recognised expert in Infection Control, and brings a wealth of knowledge and practical experience to DC Solutions. Muriel was Infection Control Nurse Manager at Mersey Care NHS Trust from 1994 – 2008, where she set up formal training in Infection Control across the Trust, and pioneered the Infection Control Link Nurse Network. Muriel controlled a frontline team which had prime responsibility for reducing acquired infection. She also introduced Key Performance Indicators on a trust-wide basis, and with her team achieved year-on-year improvements in the six key indicators.
In addition, Muriel chaired the North West Mental Health Infection Control Nurses Network for three years from its inauguration in 2005. She also represented the NW branch of the Infection Control Nursing Association (now part of the Infection Prevention Society) on the North West Procurement Hub for services contracting and new product assessment. She is a guest lecturer for the Infection Control Training Course at the University of Manchester, and is a regular speaker at ICNA conferences.
During her time in the NHS, Muriel worked as a consultant with several other NHS trusts and independent healthcare providers, helping them to meet the requirements of the 2006 Health Act and the 2008 update. This included one trust which had previously declared ‘status red’ in Infection Control, and went on to achieve full compliance in just one year. She advised across all aspects of compliance, including understanding, training and implementation of Action Plans, through to assessment and verification.
Muriel worked with DC Solutions as a client when she commissioned and helped develop the nationally-acclaimed Wound Care Course, as featured in the Health Exec TV film. This course met a long-recognised gap in hospital training and practice, and has greatly improved patient outcomes and resource utilisation since its introduction.
Muriel’s career in Infection Control goes back to 1994. Having first trained in the NHS, she started work at the first Youth Treatment Centre in the country.
Qualifications: Registered Mental Nurse, BA (Hons) Health Education; Post Graduate Certificate in Gerontology; Diploma in Nursing Teaching & Curriculum Design; qualifications in Infection Control, HIV / AIDS treatment.