FEATURE ARTICLES

The Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust has partnered with CFES and Getinge to make its vision of an NHS-owned decontamination super centre a reality – offering the ability to improve services within the Trust, as well as other hospitals in the London area and beyond. Louise Frampton witnessed first-hand the scale of the operation on a visit to the state-of-the-art Enfield site.

With an ageing workforce, the decontamination sector urgently needs to develop the next generation of healthcare scientists, to ensure the sector continues to deliver high quality, safe services for patients.

Major savings in medicines expenditure have been reported by a hospital in North Wales, following the installation of an automated medication cabinet within the operating theatre. The automated system is also improving the accountability of medication use and helping to improve safety.

The EBME chairman, Dr. John Sandham, discusses what to expect at the EBME Expo, being held in the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes, in Autumn 2020.

At Infection Prevention & Control 2020, NHS leaders warned that increased efforts are required to reduce healthcare-associated infections, if we are to win the fight against antimicrobial resistance. With ambitious targets now set to cut Gram-negative bloodstream infections, what role can clinicians have in delivering improvement? Louise Frampton reports

The NHS has seen significant changes in the profile of its staff as it struggles to fill widespread and growing nurse shortages. Analysis by the Health Foundation shows that the skills mix is changing, as the number of registered nurses is being outstripped by increases in clinical support staff.

Paul McGrade provides his thoughts on health trends on show at Arab Health.

The Marmot Review 10 Years On has highlighted the devastating impact that a decade of austerity has had on health outcomes. For the first time in over a century, progress in life expectancy has stalled and even declined for women, while health inequalities have widened.

There is increasing recognition of the need to tackle disruptive behaviours in the perioperative setting, including ‘incivility’. Kate Woodhead RGN DMS discusses the issue of bullying in theatres and the impact that this has on patient safety and the retention of staff.

Stefan Hogendoorn, chief technical officer at Cloud Technology Solutions, explains how machine learning is being used to improve medical diagnoses and healthcare provision, highlighting the potential to reshape the future of clinical services in the UK.

Shaun Ambrose-Jones, an independent consultant at AMJO Business Development, explores how using a non-corrosive, chlorine-free, high-level disinfectant can optimise cleaning and reduce the risk of damage to mattress covers.

Could smartphones democratise healthcare and relieve the pressure on healthcare facilities? Louise Frampton discusses how the combination of mobile devices with diagnostic tools could offer new possibilities to test, track and treat conditions – from rapid diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs) and HIV, to the tracking of Ebola outbreaks.

The NHS is treating more patients but has not yet achieved the fundamental transformation in services and finance regime needed to meet rising demand. Short-term fixes have made some parts of the NHS seriously financially unstable, according to the National Audit Office (NAO).

Urgent action is needed to transform ophthalmic services to prevent devastating and avoidable sight loss for patients. Lack of timely follow-up for glaucoma patients is a recognised issue across the NHS and research suggests that around 22 patients a month suffer severe or permanent sight loss as a result of delays.

Surgical site infection surveillance saves lives, but theatre staff need to take a more proactive role, says Pauline Harrington, National surgical site infection surveillance manager at Public Health England. Louise Frampton reports.

The consequences of ‘efficiency savings’ are being felt within the urology and continence care sector, according to Chris Whitehouse, chairman of the Urology Trade Association. He warns that cutting costs for urology devices risks causing avoidable urinary tract infections, and reducing the quality of life of patients.

The mortality rate for breast cancer has fallen dramatically, with the development of new tests and treatments. The latest research offers hope for further improvements, not least through the development of artificial intelligence to aid diagnosis. The Clinical Services Journal reports on the latest advances.

Trevor Dale, an expert in human factors training, believes that the NHS still has a long way to go in creating a ‘just culture’, where organisations learn from mistakes, human factors are understood, and hierarchy is flexible. So, what exactly does a ‘just culture’ look like?

Group B Strep is the most common cause of severe infection in newborn babies in the UK. Despite a risk-based prevention strategy being in place since 2003, to tackle early-onset infection, rates have significantly increased. Jane Plumb and Kate F Walker discuss the current UK approach and what needs to change.

The NHS is currently in a ‘technological meltdown’ as a result of decades of under-investment in technology, according Dr. John Sandham, chairman of the EBME Expo. EBME and IT departments are also on a ‘collision course’ and there is a need to address the knowledge gap between the two disciplines, if the NHS is to succeed in its vision for a digital future. Louise Frampton reports.