FEATURE ARTICLES

The Clinical Engineering team at Chesterfield Royal Hospital has improved the management of medical equipment by tracking assets with a RFID system, resulting in reduced costs and improved patient flow.

Patients and wound care experts are calling for higher standards in wound care. The Making Wound Care Work recommendations have been launched, signposting to key areas that will help drive improvements to wound care services.

Toma Pagojute says that training and development, recognition, and culture are all key to employee retention – it isn’t just about the pay. She reports on a recent survey which showed that stress was the biggest reason prompting healthcare staff to consider leaving the profession.

A new report by the Public Accounts Committee has criticised NHS England’s recovery programme for its ‘over-optimism’ and highlights a need for improved workforce planning – particularly around social care. CSJ provides an overview of the key findings and recommendations.

The latest NHS staff survey reveals concerns over the care provided to patients and a decline in morale. The findings also highlight increasing levels of discrimination.

Trevor Garcia, the new chair of the Institute of Decontamination Sciences (IDSc), calls for a focus on education and training within the sector, to safeguard the next generation of highly motivated and competent decontamination science staff

Dr. John Sandham CEng FIHEEM warns that when medical technology fails its ‘MOT’ so does the whole of the NHS. He argues that effective medical technology management can lead to better clinical outcomes, happier staff, and a more efficient NHS.

Kate Woodhead RGN DMS discusses the role of the independent sector in healthcare and whether it could mitigate the extreme pressures in the NHS – both in acute and primary care services.

Over the last five years, NHS Supply Chain procurement exercises have benefitted from increased frontline clinical engagement, ensuring high-quality and cost-effective products that meet the needs of the NHS. In this article, Sue Green outlines how clinical engagement has supported the development of a robust infection prevention and control framework for the provision of hand hygiene products and services.

During the pandemic, increased demand for alcohol-based hand rub led to some questionable solutions entering the market. So, what questions should healthcare providers ask suppliers to ensure that their product is suitable and effective for hospital use? Thomas Oh, Mandy Michie, Pearleen Ho and Lars Passvogel provide an insight.

Getinge’s digital patient flow management solution, INSIGHT, has successfully improved patient flow, reduced staff stress levels, and increased efficiency for a leading orthopaedic hospital in Japan.

Daniel Sullivan explains how electrostatic technology offers significant benefits for environmental decontamination. A trial has shown that contamination is reduced, while beds can also be turned around much faster, but stakeholder engagement and targeted training are vital.

In this article, Pentax Medical explains how a new brushless solution could offer an alternative to manual pre-cleaning, while addressing hygiene and sustainability challenges faced in daily clinical practice.

Alan Abbatt offers an insight into ensuring the correct pH for detergents, to optimise the decontamination of surgical instruments. He considers why pH is important and examines the available guidance.

A state-of-the-art centralised decontamination centre at Pinderfields Hospital is providing safe and efficient endoscope reprocessing for the Mid Yorkshire NHS Trust, using an end-to-end solution from Wassenburg Medical. The Clinical Services Journal provides an insight into the phased project and looks at how the central hub has evolved.

At the Central Sterilising Club (CSC) Autumn study day, on the 10th October 2022, in Manchester, sustainability was high on the agenda. The event included some thought-provoking discussions on how the environmental impact of decontamination and endoscopy departments could be minimised. Louise Frampton reports.

CSJ spoke to the new chair of the Institute of Decontamination Sciences (IDSc), Trevor Garcia, about the organisation’s direction for the future, its ambitions to drive standards in the sector, and the need for culture change in decontamination science. He believes there is a need to ‘get back to basics’.

One of Europe’s largest Infection Prevention and Control Conferences is set to take place in Birmingham at The National Conference Centre. The two-day event will bring together over 800 attendees each day to explore the latest initiatives from the IP&C Arena.

The future of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) depends on what we do today. Better diagnostics, infection prevention, and surveillance are vital factors in the fight against AMR, argues Greg Quinn.

CSJ spoke to Charles Pallandt, chief commercial officer at Incision, to find out how digital tools for education and training could support operating theatre teams to improve performance, reduce delays and improve safety.