FEATURE ARTICLES

George Black, UK marketing manager of Dräger Medical, puts views to Nicholas Marshall on the way forward for ensuring clinical equipment is always maintained in optimum condition.

Dr Tuhin Sikdar FRCS FRCR, consultant radiologist with a special interest in musculoskeletal injuries and interventions, explains the procedure for, and benefits of, percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP). He is based at the Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow, Essex.

Changes in policies and systems will have a massive impact on healthcare delivery – this was made clear in the managers’ track at the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP) Speciality Conference held in London in the summer. Nicholas Marshall reports.

David Leaper MD ChM FRCS FACS, Senthil Kumar MS FRCS, and Nick Bettles BSc MSc CEng MIEE, discuss the value of patient warming during the perioperative period.

The term “Evidence-based Practice” is used to encompass the up-to-date information upon which the Department of Health states all clinical practice should be founded. Adrienne Montgomery NZRGON, SCM, RCNT, Dip N, MN, explores the implications for perioperative practice.

Jason Rayfield reports on “Completing the Picture”, the latest in a series of meetings which focus on important clinical issues that impact on routine practice in clinical and biomedical engineering.

Graham Cox, decontamination and sterile services manager, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, examines the first experience gained using metal embedded radio frequency identification tags in the decontamination cycle.

With its innovative policies on hand hygiene, general cleanliness, patient privacy and dignity, and staff and patient education, East Sussex located orthopaedic Centre of Excellence, The Horder Centre has created an environment of care where patient safety is never compromised. Jason Rayfield reports.

In this, the third in a series of modernisation articles to be published in The Clinical Services Journal, Robert Standfield, lead workforce designer, MCP Programme; Cheryl Wright, workforce designer, MCP Programme; and Jo-Anne Welsh, associate workforce designer, MCP Programme, provide an overview of the Medical Care Practitioner (MCP) role.

Examined in recent issues has been the work of the National Practitioner Programme (NPP) and the development of new and amended healthcare roles. In this final article, ROBERT STANDFIELD, NPP lead workforce designer, looks at the current status of the programme, and the benefits it will deliver as new healthcare roles become embedded in the NHS.

The 2006 Institute of Decontamination Sciences Conference in Scotland attracted about 200 delegates and covered a wide range of topics, from compliance standards to endoscopy services. KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS reports.

Achieving an aseptic state in the hospital environment is vital. Professor MIKE WREN examines some of the methods available for ensuring high levels of cleanliness are achieved.

At a recent Oxoid Infection Control Seminar, the problem of multidrug resistance in Gram-negative organisms was examined. The introduction of a new screening test aims to slow the spread of these bacteria, both within and between hospitals, as FIONA MACRAE reports.

PCTs can be more efficient and will enhance patient care if they reconsider their high volume care pathways.

With the move towards more non-invasive surgical techniques throughout medicine, BARRY THOMAS from Cook Incorporated discusses his company's Zenith stent grafts with Lesley Adair, and explains how the products are playing a crucial role in the growing demand for non-invasive endovascular treatment.

A group of experts recently issued a warning to healthcare staff that they could be legally liable if they advise patients to crush pills. Dr DAVID WRIGHT, senior lecturer in pharmacy at the University of East Anglia and a member of the group, contributes to this article on the implications for healthcare staff involved in administering medication. Report by Lesley Adair.

A new system to find intensive care cots for sick and premature babies has been launched by Health Minister Ivan Lewis. CSJ reports.

At the end of November last year the Department of Health released its consultation document Code of Practice for Promotion of NHS Services. With patient choice a central theme, The Clinical Services Journal takes a closer look at what the document has to say on this and other subjects.

It is essential that healthcare organisations have robust systems in place for managing patient confidentiality. This is not only a legal requirement but also an ethical one. The integrity of the healthcare system is based on mutual trust between clinician and patient. JOHN BEESLEY LLM Healthcare Law, BA (Hons) RGN explores organisational guidelines for information governance.

Healthcare providers aim to improve patients' lives. However, as the range and complexity of interventions increase, so too does the risk of patients being harmed unintentionally by procedures intended to help them. In a drive to improve patient safety, a new commitment aims to supplement existing standards and guidelines.