Isabela-born nurse Michael Mark Dalauidao named UK infection prevention practitioner of the year

Filipino nurse Michael Mark Dalauidao has been named Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner of the Year 2026 by the Infection Prevention Society, recognising work at William Harvey Hospital that was later rolled out across East Kent Hospitals.

Michael Mark Dalauidao, a Filipino nurse born and raised in Isabela, has been named Infection Prevention and Control Practitioner of the Year 2026 by the Infection Prevention Society (IPS). He received the award at IP2026, the society's annual conference, held from 28 to 29 September at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, The Global Filipino Magazine reported.

The IPS said the award recognises his contribution to infection prevention and control (IPC), his commitment to patient safety, and his work to raise standards and inspire the next generation of IPC practitioners.

"I think I started IPC in 2018 and the people, especially the people here in this association, just inspired me and gave me that fire to want to make some difference." — Michael Mark Dalauidao

Measurable gains in East Kent

The honour covers his work at William Harvey Hospital, where work he initiated was later rolled out across East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust. In the 2024–2025 financial year, his first full financial year with the organisation, the trust recorded:

• a 25% reduction in Clostridioides difficile infections
• a 75% reduction in MRSA bloodstream infections
• a 10% reduction in E. coli bloodstream infections

He also helped sustain more than 95% compliance with hand hygiene and PPE audits. His monthly clinical skills workshops have reached around 400 nurses, and he has personally mentored around 25 Band 5 and Band 6 nurses interested in IPC, with many going on to take up IPC roles, according to the IPS.

From Manila to the NHS

After finishing his nursing degree at Far Eastern University in Manila, he moved to the United Kingdom in 2010 to complete a BSc (Hons) in International Healthcare and Nursing at the University of Northampton, TGFM reported. He joined the NHS in 2016 and spent five years as an IPC Matron at King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust before moving to William Harvey Hospital. In September he joined Pal International, a UK manufacturer of infection control products, as its Global Head of Clinical Education and Learning Development.

A network of Filipino specialists

He co-founded and serves as president of the Association of Filipino Infection Prevention and Control Specialists in the UK (AFIPCS-UK). According to TGFM, the network became a formal association in the last quarter of 2025 and now has around 90 specialist members, with its formal inauguration and the oath-taking of its elected officers set for the end of October 2026.

"The association is not limited to nurses; it welcomes Filipinos from all professional backgrounds who share an interest in infection prevention and control," he told TGFM.

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