FEATURE ARTICLES

Blame culture persists, warns new report

Action is needed to tackle the persistence of blame cultures and fear of speaking up in the NHS. This is according to the latest report by Patient Safety Learning. So, how can we strive to achieve ‘a culture of safety’, where staff feel able to speak up and organisations learn from mistakes without apportioning blame?

Looking into the green surgical future

Kate Woodhead RGN DMS concludes her series of insights into sustainability in healthcare, focusing on plans to achieve ‘greener’ surgery in the future. She says that enthusiastic champions will be vital to driving improvement, going forward, and outlines some of the key strategies that could help contribute towards a Net Zero NHS.

COVER STORY: Choosing a high-performance cleaning chemistry

Richard Bancroft, BSc (Hons), senior director scientific, at STERIS, discusses the importance of high-performance cleaning chemistries for cleaning reusable medical devices.

AMR: preventing the next pandemic

After years of excessive and sometimes inappropriate use of antimicrobials, an ever-increasing range of infections caused by bacteria, parasites, viruses and fungi are no longer susceptible to the common medicines used to treat them. Simon Aylen discusses the history and challenges of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the strategies we can employ to control and contain this global threat.

Role of technology in optimising medication

Gary Mooney discusses the role of technology in driving safety improvements in medication management, as well as the personalisation of therapies through pharmacogenomics.

More than one billion people living with obesity

The total number of children, adolescents and adults worldwide living with obesity has surpassed one billion, according to a global analysis published in The Lancet. These trends, together with the declining prevalence of people who are underweight since 1990, make obesity the most common form of malnutrition in most countries.

Role of AI in tackling sepsis and AMR

Dr. Mark Gostock and Dr. Iain Miller discuss the potential for artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to support early diagnosis of sepsis and reduce antimicrobial resistance.

Endoscopes: pre-clean the unseen

Kerry Dolan provides an insight into the problem of biofilms and discusses why endoscope pre-cleaning is crucial for patient safety.

Driving improvement in environmental hygiene

Investment in infection prevention training and development for all staff groups is vital to drive improvement in environmental hygiene, says Yvonne Spencer. However, training is just one strand of a holistic IPC strategy – creating the right cleaning culture in the healthcare setting is just as important.

HealthTech: empowering clinicians and patients

Fiona Kirk, a former nurse and now a clinical consultant for Ascom, explores how technology is not only enabling better health outcomes, slicker clinical processes and supporting clinicians, it’s also empowering patients to take greater ownership of their health and wellbeing.

Why clinical homecare could be a solution for the NHS

Chris Carver, board member of the National Clinical Homecare Association (NCHA), suggests that clinical homecare could provide a long-term solution to some of the challenges faced by the NHS. He highlights the findings of a new report.

Saving lives through ultrasound screening

Lives are saved every year in Scotland as a result of a major screening programmeusing advanced ultrasound imaging. CSJ provides an insight into the technology that is ensuring early detection of abdominal aortic aneurysms

Celebrating 60 Years of Safer Surgery

2024 is a huge year for The Association of Perioperative Practice (AfPP) as they celebrate their 60th anniversary. To mark the organisation’s long history of supporting best practice and education, a programme of events will be taking place across the country. CSJ provides an overview.

Why apprenticeships must be part of the workforce plan

Apprenticeships are the missing piece of the puzzle to reduce staff shortages and treatment waiting times. They can also promote diversity, says Professor Lynne Gell, Dean of the School of Nursing, at BPP.

Navigating regulation in a post-Brexit era

It feels like a lifetime ago since the UK’s referendum on European Union (EU) membership in June 2016, with the UK exiting in January 2020. But what does that mean if you are looking to bring an innovative device to the UK market, and what steps do you need to take to ensure you are successful? Laura Friedl-Hirst dives into the essential strategies for innovators in the UK’s medical device industry

Engineers vital to deliver NHS Net Zero ambition

The NHS is responsible for 4% of England’s carbon emissions and NHS England has pledged to achieve Net Zero by 2045, with Scotland and Wales setting similar targets. The Institution of Mechanical Engineers has published a report highlighting the fact that engineers are essential at every level of healthcare to achieve this ambition. CSJ provides an overview of the report.

Advancing medical equipment knowledge

The EBME Expo is returning to the Coventry Building Society Arena on 26- 27 June 2024. This large indoor arena is ready to welcome more delegates, and a wider variety of innovative and internationally respected companies in the exhibition hall. The Chair of the EBME Expo, John Sandham discusses the 2024 programme.

Greening the surgical process: key strategies

Kate Woodhead RGN DMS discusses some of the strategies that could help operating theatre teams to reduce their impact on the environment and to maximise their contribution towards achieving the NHS’s Net Zero target.

COVER STORY: New fast-track operating theatres at Addenbrooke’s

Three new orthopaedic operating theatres built at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge by MTX using Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) are playing a leading role in a national scheme to deliver more than 50 new surgical hubs across England.

Bolstering NHS capacity with modular facilities

Helen Marshall discusses how modular facilities are helping the NHS to upgrade capacity. Backed by a boost in funding, they are expected to help relieve waiting list pressures, but they are more than a quick fix.

Latest Issues

AfPP Manchester Regional Conference

Manchester Metropolitan University Business School
1st March 2025

The Fifth Annual Operating Theatres Show 2025

Kia Oval, London
11th March 2025, 9:00am - 4:00pm

DECON UK 2025

National Conference Centre, Birmingham
19th March 2025

Central Sterilising Club Annual Scientific Meeting 2025

Crowne Plaza Hotel, Chester
14th - 15th April 2025

AfPP Newcastle Regional Conference

Herschel Building, Newcastle University
26th April 2025

Infection Prevention and Control 2025 Conference and Exhibition

The National Conference Centre, Birmingham
29th – 30th April 2025