Stop Managing AMS.
Start Mastering It.
You're not just an infection prevention practitioner — you're a leader protecting residents every single day. The IPS Antimicrobial Stewardship Special Interest Group gives you the community, tools, and knowledge to lead your facility to a healthier, antibiotic-responsible future.
Join the AMS SIG Today
Less than 60 seconds. Instant access. No spam, ever.
Everything You Need to Champion AMS in Your Facility
You didn't get into aged care to feel overwhelmed by prescribing decisions and compliance pressure. This community exists so you don't have to fight those battles alone.
Peer-to-Peer Knowledge Sharing
Connect with IPC practitioners across AU and NZ who face the same daily challenges — UTI over-diagnosis, GP engagement, empirical prescribing, and audit pressure. You're not alone.
Ready-to-Use AMS Resources
Audit tools, prescribing guidance summaries, staff education templates, and AMS policies built specifically for residential aged care — not adapted from hospital settings.
Regulatory Updates & Alerts
Stay confidently ahead of ACQSC expectations and ACSQHC guidance changes — translated into plain language so you can brief your team and prepare your facility without the guesswork.
CPD-Aligned Learning
Case studies, group discussions, and curated resources that support your continuing professional development in antimicrobial stewardship and infection control leadership.
Collective Voice & Advocacy
Be part of something bigger. Your real-world experience shapes the AMS conversation in aged care — and together, this community influences the standards that matter.
Monthly AMS Digest
The most important AMS developments, group resources, and community highlights — delivered to your inbox monthly. Concise, clinically relevant, and always worth your time.
Built for the People Leading Aged Care IPC Every Day
Whether you're at a large provider group or a single RACF, if you believe residents deserve better antibiotic stewardship — this group is for you.
Practical Support From Day One
Membership is free. Here's exactly what you get access to the moment you join.
AMS Audit Toolkit
A practical, RACF-specific audit framework to review antibiotic prescribing and identify improvement opportunities — ready to use in your facility today.
UTI Assessment Decision Aids
Evidence-based tools to help reduce unnecessary UTI diagnoses — one of the most common and preventable antibiotic overuse patterns in residential aged care.
Staff Education Templates
Ready-made education slides and handouts on responsible antibiotic use, clinical assessment, and signs of infection — tailored for nursing staff in aged care settings.
Private Community Forum
Ask questions, share case studies, and get peer input in a members-only space moderated by experienced IPS infection prevention professionals.
Regulatory Compliance Updates
Plain-language summaries whenever AMS-related standards or guidance changes — so you're never caught unprepared before an accreditation visit.
Monthly AMS Digest Email
Curated AMS news, research highlights, community discussions, and new resources delivered monthly — concise enough to read between shifts.
"The hardest part of AMS in aged care is feeling like you're pushing uphill alone. Having a community of people who genuinely get it — the GP conversations, the documentation challenges, the audit pressure — makes an enormous difference."
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it really free to join?
Yes — 100% free. Membership in the AMS SIG is part of IPS's commitment to equipping aged care IPC professionals with the tools and community they deserve.
Who runs and moderates the group?
The group is hosted and moderated by IPS – Infection Prevention Services, with input from experienced IPC practitioners and clinical advisors across Australia and New Zealand.
How active is the community?
We deliver a monthly digest and share resources regularly. The forum is there when you need it — no obligation to post, just access, learn, and connect on your terms.
Is this relevant to New Zealand facilities?
Absolutely. The clinical challenges of AMS in aged care are shared across AU and NZ, and the community actively welcomes New Zealand IPC professionals.
Can I share resources with my whole team?
Yes. All resources are designed to be practical and shareable within your organisation — including with nursing staff, managers, and medical teams.
How do I leave if I change my mind?
Every email includes a simple unsubscribe link. Leave any time with no questions asked — we keep it as simple as it should be.
Join the AMS Special Interest Group Today
Free membership. Practical resources. A community of aged care IPC professionals who understand what you're up against — and are committed to raising the standard together.
Lead Your Facility to a Healthier Future →
Lyndon Forrest
Lyndon is the Managing Director of Infection Prevention Services (IPS), bringing over 30 years' experience supporting aged care providers across Australia and New Zealand.
With a background spanning outbreak response, compliance, and infection risk management — alongside hands-on experience leading teams, managing multi-site operations, and navigating business turnaround — he understands both the clinical and organisational pressures aged care providers face. Lyndon holds a Master of Commerce (Industrial Relations), and applies that foundation to the people, process, and growth challenges that come with running a complex healthcare services business.
He is passionate about building the systems and capability that make infection prevention sustainable — not just compliant — and about helping organisations grow their confidence alongside their practice.
Lyndon's focus is straightforward: strengthen operations, develop the right people, and drive proactive infection prevention strategies that protect residents, staff, and communities for the long term.
Erica Callaghan
Erica Callaghan is a dedicated professional with a rich background in agriculture and nutrient management. Growing up on her family's farm in Mid Canterbury, she developed a deep passion for farming. She currently resides on her partner's arable property in South Canterbury.
In 2017, Erica joined the Farm Sustainability team, focusing on nutrient management and environmental stewardship. In February 2024, she became the Manager of Marketing and Sales at Bug Control New Zealand - Infection Prevention Services, where her passion now includes improving infection prevention outcomes.
Outside of work, Erica loves cooking and traveling, often combining her culinary interests with her explorations in Italy and Vietnam. She enjoys entertaining family and friends and remains actively involved in farm activities, especially during harvest season.
Toni Sherriff
Toni is a Registered Nurse with extensive experience in Infection Prevention and Control. Her career began as a kitchen hand and caregiver in Aged Care facilities, followed by earning a Bachelor of Nursing.
Toni has significant experience, having worked in Brisbane’s Infectious Diseases ward before returning home to New Zealand, where she continued her career as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Infection Prevention and Control within Te Whatu Ora (Health NZ).
Toni brings her expertise and dedication to our team, which is instrumental in providing top-tier infection prevention solutions to our clients.
Julie Hadfield
Julie is experienced in Accounts & Payroll Administration & after a long career in both the Financial & Local Government Sectors, is now working with our team. Julie brings her strong time management & organisational skills to our team, which is important to keep the company running in the background to enable the rest of our team to provide top notch service to all of our clients.
Andrea Murray
I attended Otago University in NZ and graduated as a Dental Surgeon. After 40 years in the profession, I retired in 2022. Infection prevention knowledge was part of everyday practice, dealing with sterilisation, hand hygiene, and cleaning.
Before retiring, I began doing some editing and proofreading for Bug Control as I am interested in the subject and in the English language. During the COVID-19 lockdown, I attended the ACIPC course "Introduction to Infection Prevention and Control", which increased my interest in the subject. I now work part-time as the Content Editor for the company.
Princess
Princess began her career as a dedicated Customer Service Representative, honing her communication and problem-solving skills. She later transitioned into a Literary Specialist role, where she developed a keen eye for detail. Her journey then led her to a Sales Specialist position, where she excelled in client relations.
Now, as a Customer Support professional in Infection Prevention Services. Princess focuses on ensuring customer satisfaction, building loyalty, and enhancing the overall customer journey.
Dianne Newey
Dianne is a Senior Clinical Consultant at Infection Prevention Services (IPS), bringing over 35 years of nursing experience and a depth of clinical knowledge that most people would need two careers to accumulate.
Having served as Clinical Director at Royal Ryde Rehabilitation Hospital alongside a career spanning the full breadth of clinical practice, Dianne has seen it all — and more importantly, knows exactly what to do about it. She is the person in the room that everyone quietly hopes will speak first.
For more than seven years she has been a cornerstone of the IPS team, providing clinical advice, developing and reviewing policies and procedures, delivering monthly IPC webinars to IP Leads, and conducting environmental audits in aged care facilities across Australia and New Zealand. If infection prevention has a question, Dianne almost certainly has the answer — and she'll deliver it with a laugh that you'll hear from the other end of the corridor.
A true fountain of knowledge, wrapped in the kind of warmth and humour that only three decades of nursing can produce. Customers don't just trust Dianne — they look forward to hearing from her.
Caoimhe (Keva) Stewart
Caoimhe is the Clinical & Business Operations Manager at Infection Prevention Services (IPS), bringing a clinical background as a Registered Nurse across the UK and Australia — and an almost unsettling ability to make technology do exactly what she wants.
With experience in Occupational Health, Palliative Care, and Community Nursing, she understands the real challenges faced by healthcare teams. What she may lack in stature she more than makes up for in impact — Caoimhe is the kind of person who walks into a problem, sizes it up, and has three solutions before anyone else has finished reading the brief.
Customers love her. Not just because she delivers — though she always does — but because she genuinely cares about the outcome on the other side. She is passionate about creating seamless learning experiences and empowering organisations with the tools, knowledge, and support needed to strengthen infection prevention practices and improve care outcomes.
Small in size. Mighty in results. Completely irreplaceable.
Bridgette Mackie
Bridgette is an experienced New Zealand Registered Nurse, qualified Healthcare Auditor, and Healthcare Educator with a strong background in clinical quality, competency assessment, and infection prevention. She has led large-scale OSCE and CAP training programmes for internationally qualified nurses, developed sector-specific educational resources, and coordinated HealthCERT audit preparation in the surgical sector.
Known for her engaging teaching style and genuine passion for supporting learners, Bridgette excels at making complex topics accessible and relevant. She blends operational leadership with a deep commitment to professional development and safe, effective practice.