RECENT FEATURE ARTICLES

The Centre for Sustainable Healthcare and The Royal College of Surgeons of England recently hosted a conference to highlight the first-ever ‘Green Surgery Challenge’.

Kate Woodhead RGN DMS warns that inequality is standing in the way of the health service’s ability to recruit and retain staff. She calls for cultural change and financial investment to drive improvement.

The pandemic has highlighted the importance of robust IP&C strategies for ICUs.

Torbay Hospital has implemented point-of-care testing for MRSA to decrease turnaround times and increase bed occupancy

Yvonne Spencer describes how a ‘whole hospital approach’ is the cornerstone to infection prevention – involving collaboration between hard & soft FM, infection prevention & control teams, service users, clinicians and other key stakeholders.

Debbie McKinney explores innovative approaches to infection prevention in endoscopy services, and the knock-on impacts for cost and efficiency savings.

Carolyne Horner discusses the diversity of point-of-care tests (POCTs) available for the rapid detection of infection and the key issues relevant to their uptake.

Surface transmission has been identified as an important route of pathogen spread, especially within the healthcare environment. Jade Pallett discusses viral and bacterial transmission and looks at the key issues and evidence.

There is considerable evidence that contaminated surfaces and the untreated hands of healthcare professionals contribute to the spread of nosocomial pathogens within the hospital setting.

Speaking at IP2021, Julie Storr called for a ‘hard reset’ in infection prevention and control, to ensure compassionate care is not overlooked, amidst efforts to eliminate risk from infectious diseases.

An international study has found that high-need older patients had the highest mortality rates of any country, despite performing relatively well on several other measures of quality of hospital care.

Solving interoperability challenges in relation to healthcare technologies has the potential to improve patient outcomes, deliver financial savings and optimise clinical workflows.

A new report by the National Audit Office has warned that there is a significant risk that NHS waiting times could lengthen even further and provides a detailed analysis of the challenges ahead.

Dave Rudge argues that the UK could learn from the Netherlands’ holistic approach to infection prevention and highlights the need for further studies to provide high-quality data on the role of the environment in transmission.

The latest research presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology’s 30th Congress revealed the true burden of skin disease in Europe and prompted debate over the increasing use of consumer apps for diagnosing cancers.

Community diagnostic hubs have the potential to make a significant difference to patients waiting for diagnostic imaging and will help reduce the backlog in the wake of the pandemic.

Maria Kapoula considers the debate on active vs passive safety pen needles and discusses the question: which type of device is preferable when the full range of human factors are assessed?

The Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust’s digital transformation has facilitated earlier detection of patient deterioration, supported care for patients during the COVID pandemic, and is now on its way to enabling better integration of care patients.

Work underway in Manchester shows how intertwined technological and economic revolutions can be harnessed to create a health revolution in which streamlined care is brought closer to the UK’s rapidly ageing population.

At IP2021, experts highlighted the need to re-focus on core IP&C issues. While it is important to learn lessons from the pandemic, we also need to view IP&C through a ‘new lens’ and consider the fundamentals of nursing care.