FEATURE ARTICLES

The AfPP urged theatre teams to sign up to a ‘behaviours charter’ at its annual conference, highlighting the impact of incivility on patient safety. CSJ reports on the hot topics discussed at the event – from fostering a safety culture in perioperative practice, to human factors learning.

In collaboration, Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Vanguard Healthcare Solutions installed facilities, referred to as a ‘mini-hospital’ by Health Board staff, in record time – just six weeks for a dual-procedure endoscopy complex and nine weeks for a four-theatre, two-ward surgical suite.

From January 2026, public funding for level 7 (master’s level) apprenticeships will disappear for most adults, yet over 60% of current learners fall outside the new age caps. For healthcare, this risks stalling leadership progress, widening skills gaps and slowing much-needed digital transformation, warns Steven Hurst, Director of Corporate Learning at Arden University.

With heart failure cases increasing rapidly, more support is needed for early detection and diagnosis in primary care, argues Chair of the Alliance for Heart Failure, Preeti Minhas

Dr. Shivan Sivakumar PhD FRCP, from the University of Birmingham, says that artificial intelligence is battling cancer but not how you think. He explains how AI is delivering on the NHS 10-Year Health Plan’s survivorship pledge, and urges the oncology community to rethink where we invest our resources and focus.

Wound care is one of the most significant, yet under-recognised challenges facing the UK’s health system. Estimated to cost the NHS upwards of £8.3 billion annually¹ and accounting for around 50% of all community nurse activity,² the burden is immense. Yet wound care rarely receives the attention afforded to other high-cost clinical areas like cancer, diabetes, or cardiovascular disease. It is time to change that, says the ABHI Wound Care Group.

Doctors who use artificial intelligence (AI) see benefits for their own efficiency and for patient care in a resource-stretched NHS and, although they recognise there are risks, they feel confident in managing them, according to a new study published by the General Medical Council (GMC).

With NHS Trusts and Integrated Care Boards required to update their Green Plans,¹ healthcare leaders find themselves navigating how to meet pressing environmental targets, while continuing to uphold the necessarily uncompromising standards of clinical care. It’s a task that demands more than technical innovation, argues Karen McNamara – it requires a fundamental shift in how the system thinks, acts, and buys.

The Operating Theatres Show 2025 is taking place at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Thursday, 11 September 2025. CSJ provides an overview of the hot topics being explored at the event.

Scotland’s Medical Device Decontamination seminar returned to the Golden Jubilee Conference Hotel in May 2025. Gillian McIntosh, Trainee Technical Advisor (Decontamination), NHSScotland Assure, provides an overview of the day.

With respiratory diseases – most notably COPD – a growing issue for ageing populations, Bipin Patel looks at how technology can be used to improve diagnosis and monitoring of these conditions, while also easing the burden on strained health providers.

In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare environment, continuous professional development is more important than ever. Advances in technology, evolving treatment methodologies, and updated clinical guidelines require healthcare professionals (HCPs) to maintain and expand their expertise. Getinge has launched ‘Get Educated’ — a comprehensive programme providing high-quality training, education, and simulation from its state-of-the-art headquarters in Derby.

Paul Johnson, CEO Radar Healthcare, says that maternity care in the UK faces a pivotal moment. While the NHS has supported generations of families through safe and compassionate birth experiences, increasing pressures are now taking a toll. Workforce shortages, outdated policies, and substantial inequalities in outcomes are placing significant strain on the maternity care system, leaving some families without the care they deserve. However, he points out that these challenges also present a vital opportunity for change...

Dr. Penny Dash’s review of patient safety has concluded that there has been: “a shift towards safety over the last 5 to 10 years, with considerable resources deployed, but relatively small improvements have been seen”. CSJ provides an overview of the key findings of the review and the wider response to the report.

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign guidelines advocate for the use of advanced haemodynamic variables alongside clinical assessment to guide resuscitation in children with septic shock or sepsis-associated organ dysfunction. In this article, James Leek explains why advanced haemodynamic monitoring is so important during sepsis treatment.

World Sepsis Day is held on 13 September every year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against sepsis. Sepsis accounts for at least 11 million deaths worldwide annually. Recent reports by the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB) show that there are still ongoing challenges in ensuring early diagnosis.

bioMérieux recently hosted an educational symposium on ‘the critical intersection between antimicrobial stewardship and sepsis’. Often perceived as separate, these two issues are intrinsically linked. The event, which took place in Birmingham, provided a thought-provoking exploration of these two critical healthcare challenges. CSJ provides an overview of some of the hot topics discussed.

Ecolab has launched the latest innovation in UV-C decontamination to help enhance environmental hygiene protocols and maintain healthy spaces.

High on the agenda at the Central Sterilising Club’s Annual Scientific Meeting was the theme of “risk and revolution”. How should we review current approaches, drive innovation, and ensure patient safety? What questions should we ask, when implementing ‘a revolution’, and what are the challenges that we need to overcome? Louise Frampton reports.

In light of the call for a return to activity-based payment mechanisms, Trusts must focus on one crucial area: accurately coded data. Adrian Jones explores how correct coding will be key to maximising NHS income, ensuring proper payments under future activity-based models, and facilitating crucial reforms in line with the 10-Year Health Plan.