FEATURE ARTICLES

Kate Woodhead highlights the need for every health board to enable their teams – and, in particular, their operating theatre teams – to examine their practice so they can reduce their carbon footprint. She discusses the recommendations of The Green Surgery Report and considers some of the potential barriers.

The Infection Prevention Society’s Annual Conference, Infection Prevention 2024, is taking place at the ICC, Birmingham from the 23 -25 September. This educational event features an innovative scientific programme led by international and national experts in infection prevention.

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?

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.