FEATURE ARTICLES

In the wake of a number of reports highlighting a crisis in emergency care, there has been heated debate over the reasons for missed waiting targets and increasing attendance in A&E.

The performance of consultants is under the spotlight, in the wake of a report by the Public Accounts Committee and the publication of surgical outcomes data.

A report by safety expert, Professor Don Berwick has outlined recommendations for building a robust nationwide system for patient safety – rooted in a culture of transparency, openness and continual learning. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The publication of a review into the quality of care and treatment provided by 14 hospital Trusts in England has resulted in the creation of a list of achievable ‘ambitions’ for improvement across the wider NHS. SUZANNE CALLANDER reports.

The list of medical errors considered to be ‘Never Events’, that should never occur, has continued to expand and now includes errors in the blood transfusion process. Transfusion scientist BARRY HILL reports.

Point-of-care testing is driving changes in patient management and a special focus at the IBMS Biomedical Science Congress is being established to provide an insight into the latest developments in this field.

SUZANNE CALLANDER reports on the findings of a recent NCEPOD report which focused on the remediable factors in the quality of care provided to patients who died with a diagnosis of alcohol-related liver disease.

Studies have shown that, with traditional manual cleaning, critical points are only cleaned 50%-60% of the time. The latest research suggests that automated technologies could improve the cleanliness of hospitals and reduce the risk of pathogen transmission from the environment. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The World Health Organization has ranked Dublin’s Mater Private Hospital as the best hospital in Europe for hand hygiene. ANN HIGGINS, infection prevention and control nurse, Mater Private Hospital, recently accepted an award, on behalf of the hospital, for hand hygiene excellence.

Professor David Leaper recently provided an insight into the protective role of antimicrobial surgical gloves in reducing surgical site infection (SSI), at a conference on healthcare-associated infection. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

People living with complex health needs, co-morbidities and social care requirements often experience fragmented and sub-optimal care. One possible solution identified is integration of health and social care services.

Following a successful conference in Liverpool, the Infection Prevention Society Annual Conference is coming to London for the first time. Infection Prevention 2013 will be held at the ExCeL from 30 September to 2 October.

Between 1 January 2005 and 30 June 2010, the NPSA received reports of eight deaths and 167 non-fatal incidents involving ambulatory syringe drivers. Efforts are now underway to ensure that healthcare providers carefully manage a move to using a new generation of safer devices.

The Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust has designed a memorable campaign to support the implementation of a blanket decolonisation policy, which includes antimicrobial body washing for all patients. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Decontamination is an issue of public health importance because of concerns about preventing hospital-acquired infections (HAI) and minimising the risk of iatrogenic transmittable diseases. ZAKARIYA PATEL and DENYS DHIVER discuss this cleaning challenge.

A novel device, invented by two consultants from The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Trust, was designed to help prevent known risks associated with conventional arterial lines.

Thorough surveillance of surgical site infection (SSI), combined with feedback to staff, is reported to reduce infection rates by around a third. The Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust has reported a significant impact on infection rates and has expanded its surgical site infection surveillance team to monitor performance across a wide range of procedures. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

With the introduction of the NHS Safety Thermometer, there will be an increasing focus on the problem of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers in the future. A number of healthcare providers across the UK are already making significant progress in tackling the issue. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

JOHN SANDHAM IEng MIET MIHEEM discusses the need to put in place effective healthcare technology management policies, and looks at some barriers that can make this goal difficult to achieve.

Experts have warned that routine surgical procedures and cancer therapies could become ‘high risk’, in the future, unless we act now on the threat of antimicrobial resistance. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.