RECENT FEATURE ARTICLES
Taking the pressure off the NHS
Pressure ulcers present a huge burden for the NHS and it has led to growing concerns about the incidence, how their management could be affected and what this will mean for patient outcomes. So, how can the health service address this?- Feature
Treating rinse water: RA versus RO?
Hanna Bielecka argues that chlorine dioxide, at low concentrations, dosed into filtered rinse water, could provide an effective solution to ensure water quality in decontamination processes.- Feature
Tactical use of portable sinks during a pandemic
Isolation facilities tackling the new coronavirus are now turning to portable handwashing facilities. The tactical use of portable sinks can help increase infection prevention efforts.- Feature
Improving diagnostics for laryngopharyngeal reflux
Differential diagnosis of reflux disease is key to directing appropriate treatment, including selecting the right therapies and making the appropriate lifestyle changes.- Feature
Optimising testing for washer disinfectors
David Woods BSc (Hons) provides an insight into the various test methods available for washer disinfectors to ensure the quality of reprocessing activities.- Feature
Contingency reprocessing of single-use PPE
The NHS has faced a shortage of personal protective equipment, prompting requests for advice on contingency reprocessing measures, to ensure availability of single-use PPE items during the COVID-19 healthcare crisis.- Feature
Disinfectant standards: what you need to know
Dr Tim Sandle looks at the current European standards on disinfectants and the key considerations for hospitals to ensure the biocidal efficacy of the chemistries they use.- Feature
Scanning new horizons in patient safety
Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) is a Department of Health Scan4Safety demonstrator site for the adoption of GS1 and PEPPOL standards.- Feature
COVID-19: ensuring safety in endoscopy
How can hospitals ensure they protect patients from the potential risks of infection?- Feature
Coronavirus delays medical device rules
The European Commission has postponed the medical devices regulations to prioritise the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.- Feature
Legal implications of PPE shortages
Legal expert, Amy Clarke, discusses the legal implications of the current PPE shortages and what the provision will mean in the long term.- Feature
Upscaling life-saving equipment in a crisis
Despite the challenges of international shortages of life-saving equipment, huge volumes of medical devices have been commissioned to provide monitoring and support for patients with COVID-19.- Feature
Quality improvement: the ‘Northumbria Way’
In healthcare, we often seek to understand what ‘good looks like’ – but what does ‘outstanding’ look like? Louise Frampton speaks to the Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust about quality improvement initiatives.- Feature
Improving safety and comfort in anaesthesia
James Urie, from Mediplus, explains how the latest advances in capnography are improving safety in anaesthesia, as well as concordance with respiratory monitoring in paediatric patients.- Feature
Antimicrobial resistance: calculating the cost
A Westminster Health Forum policy conference recently highlighted the economic impact of antimicrobial resistance. High on the agenda was the question: how can we incentivise the development of new antimicrobials? Louise Frampton reports.- Feature
Rogue surgeons: what have we learned?
James Anderson, from Lime Solicitors, highlights recent legal action relating to surgeons recommending treatment which may not be necessary or in the patients’ best interests. He outlines some key principles that should be central to any safeguarding protocol to prevent such scandals in the future.- Feature
Temperature management in the surgical patient
Dr. Andrew Melling discusses the importance of maintaining normothermia in patients undergoing surgery and examines the evidence for various warming approaches – from forced air warming to fluid warming.- Feature
UK innovation showcased at Arab Health
Arab Health 2020 took place at the Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE. The medical exhibition gives UK companies, renowned clinicians and leading hospitals the chance to unite on a global stage to showcase the best of British innovation.- Feature
The importance of air quality management
Samantha Stocks discusses how factors, such as insufficient hand hygiene, difficult-to-clean surfaces and poor air quality, can lead to the proliferation of harmful bacteria in hospitals and other healthcare facilities, putting vulnerable patients at risk.- Feature
Delivering increased throughput for Queen’s
The first UK installation of Ken washer-disinfector technology has achieved faster cycle times, reduced utility consumption and is using 50% less detergent, at Queen’s Hospital in Burton-on-Trent.- Feature
