FEATURE ARTICLES

Departmental technologies like PACS are changing and breaking free of their traditional roles, and being redefined to respond to patient needs across the entire hospital, according to former NHS radiographer, Chris Scarisbrick, from Sectra UK & Ireland.

Alcohol hand sanitisers are currently recommended for use by many healthcare organisations across the world, including the World Health Organization (WHO). However, a group of authors claims a multi-centre “real time” study of Colony Forming Unit (CFU) counts on human skin show that this advice may actually be detrimental.

Each year, the Quality Improvement for Surgical Teams Conference (QIST) highlights the latest research and expert insight aimed at improving outcomes for patients undergoing surgery. Kate Woodhead RGN DMSreports on some of the topical themes for discussion raised at this year’s event.

Technical editor Kate Woodhead RGN, DMS, attended the OneTogether partnership conference in Birmingham, where two new resources were unveiled for perioperative practice, to reduce surgical site infection.

As the NHS comes under financial pressure amid reports of shortages in staff, Louise Frampton believes the lessons learned from Mid Staffordshire provide a reminder that dignity, compassion and respect, which underpin the principles of ‘patient-centred care’, can be eroded if we are not vigilant.

With the NHS under pressure to do more for less, it’s time to reap the full potential of medical technology for patients, the economy, and society, argues Barbara Harpham, chair of the Medical Technology Group.

In February 2017 Knowlex, working with NHS Improvement, NHS England and Public Health England brought together more than 400 attendees to explore the initiatives around GNBSI and sepsis announced by Jeremy Hunt and Sir Bruce Keogh in 2016

As the NHS celebrates its 70th birthday, technical editor Kate Woodhead RGN, DMS, explores a programme designed to manage the needs of elderly people, which is already revealing better clinical outcomes.

Following the death of a patient from hepatitis B, in which an ultrasound probe was implicated, the need for improvements in decontamination practices has been high on the agenda. However, some hospitals continue to use inadequate decontamination procedures and gaps in knowledge remain in how to treat these devices to prevent patient harm. Automated systems could help standardise the process and improve traceability.

The science of lung cancer is advancing rapidly and a recent conference held in Japan revealed the latest research findings from across the globe. Promising new therapies that could improve quality of life and survival rates were high on the agenda. But is lung cancer receiving the research funding it deserves?

Despite the Government’s announcement that training posts will be increased, a number of reports claim thatworkforce planning has been ‘neglected’ and are calling for action to ensure safe staffing levels.

The Future Hospital Programme was set up to change and improve services for patients, but what have we learned from the initiative? A new report from the Royal College of Physicians provides an insight into some of the successful models of patient care.

Surgeons and staff are routinely exposed to smoke, plume and aerosols produced by instruments used to dissect tissue and provide haemostasis. Long-term effects remain relatively unclear warns Tim Christopher, marketing manager at Single Use Surgical, however, the need still remains for a proactive approach to reduce potential exposures.

op decision makers from around the world recently came together to view the latest in medical innovation at the world’s largest medical trade fair, Medica, held in Düsseldorf, Germany. High on the agenda was the trend in digitalisation, advances in artificial medicine, and wearable technology.

Conferences such as Sepsis Unplugged are crucial if we are to save the thousands of lives that sepsis claims every year – more than breast cancer, bowel cancer, prostate cancer and HIV/AIDS combined. High on the agenda, this year, will be the need to focus on maternal sepsis and the challenges of diagnosis and management of sepsis in children.

Match Options director, Purity Kirigo, examines the current difficulties within the UK healthcare recruitment market and highlights how the problem of findingskilled candidates is only likely to get worse after Brexit.

Jeremy Russell, CEO of surgical robotic specialist OR Productivity,discusses the future of medical roboticsand the role the technology will have in delivering improved surgery outcomes.

A detailed look at the background to the Department of Health’s updating, in 2016, of its guidance for surgical instruments, HTM 01-01, Management and decontamination of surgical instruments (medical devices) used in acute care. As the authors, Jimmy Walker et al explain, the changes were based on evidence from DHcommissioned research to understand the epidemiology of variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob Disease and the transmission of prion protein.

As the NHS reaches its 70th anniversary, its finances are coming under close scrutiny by health leaders. Hard-fought gains, such as waiting times and single sex wards are starting to slip back at an increasing pace, and a stark warning has been issued – without a significant increase in funding, patients will inevitably suffer…

Kate Woodhead RGN DMSdiscusses the challenges facing hospitals in the developing world, the World Health Organization’s guidance on preventing surgical site infection (SSI) and the struggles that theatres experience in trying to implement best practice.