Table 3 Factors affecting attitudes to and practices of infection prevention and control (IPC) – themes identified by transcript analysis

1. Characteristics of doctors, medical culture, and medical professionalism^a

2. Interprofessional influences on attitudes to and practices of IPC

 a) Professional characteristics—stereotypes

 b) Unflattering, but varied, interprofessional perceptions

 c) Doctors’ reluctance to accept advice from expert nurse consultants

 d) The “doctor-nurse game”

3. Organisational factors affecting IPC practices

4. Factors relating to IPC policies and/or their implementation