FEATURE ARTICLES

The recent Infection Prevention 2014 Conference featured a series of presentations by NHS hospital representatives that demonstrate improving infection control practices and patient management, through the use of a variety of bioburden management solutions – from the decontamination of ward areas, patient isolation, and wound care.

The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference recently took place at the BT Convention Centre in Liverpool, showcasing the latest basic, translational and clinical cancer research – from therapeutic and diagnostic advances, to new findings on risk factors.

From a ‘sterilisation sleeve’ designed to reduce surgical site infection, to a safer, more accurate biopsy method for detecting prostate cancer, NHS staff are being helped to translate innovative ideas into practical solutions.

A recent report from The King’s Fund has found that specialist knowledge is too concentrated in hospitals, to the detriment of those patients whose increasingly complex needs should be treated closer to home.

Work is underway to drive the adoption and spread of innovation across all areas of healthcare provision and population health. New networks have been established to support a variety of projects that could have national and international significance.

The most recent United European Gastroenterology (UEG) event, which took place in October in Vienna, considered the health consequences and the burden of digestive health across Europe. It also offered an opportunity to share the latest GI-related thinking. SUZANNE CALLANDER reports.

The Clinical Services Journal reports on the first four Future Hospital Development sites and finds out how they are working towards the goal of bringing specialist medical care closer to the patient.

Procurement has been highlighted as one of the challenges facing the NHS during a period of austerity. The NHS Supply Chain believes it can help optimise the value Trusts get from non-pay spend, as well as helping develop Trusts’ procurement capability and the drive for greater collaboration and greater transparency.

The NHS Five Year Forward View document highlights a variety of possible future models of care for the NHS. It proposes a variety of solutions to some of the big challenges that the health and care services face today. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

A study by the University of Leeds suggests that air dryers may be unsuitable for use in healthcare settings, as they may facilitate microbial crosscontamination via airborne dissemination to the environment or bathroom visitors.1

KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS discusses the move towards integrating human factors science into NHS practice.

The Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s two-day conference, Quality Improvement for Surgical Teams (QIST) – recently provided an insight into strategies for reducing surgical site infection (SSI). LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Award-winning approaches to improving hand hygiene compliance are being highlighted for their contributions to national efforts to reduce healthcare-associated infection (HCAI).

A recent report from the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death has highlighted the need for improvement in the care provided for patients undergoing amputation.

Andy Jones, Hospital Manager at Fairfield Independent Hospital, St Helens, explained how the hospital needed to increase its endoscope decontamination capacity to satisfy increased patient numbers.

The Institute of Decontamination Sciences (IDSc) will host its annual conference and exhibition, 1-3 December 2014, at the Hilton Hotel Blackpool. High on the agenda will be raising standards in endoscope decontamination. The ‘dental dilemma’ will also be discussed.

A recent report has revealed that many NHS Trusts are unaware of the full scale, cost and impact of healthcare-acquired infections such as sepsis and norovirus. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Following World Sepsis Day in September, the need to speed up diagnosis and improve treatment of sepsis has been high on the agenda. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Faecal and urinary incontinence affects a growing number of people around the world, but some experts feel it is not receiving the focus or the funding that it deserves. MANSOOR PARVAIZ discusses the opportunity for institutions like the NHS to review the way that continence care is organised and free up resources to improve the quality of life of incontinence suffers. In particular he examines the findings of a new report, which offers guidance for policy makers, payers and clinicians across the globe.

NHS procurement has been subject to much scrutiny recently. NICOLA HALL discusses why she believes that the latest Government procurement tool has room for improvement.