FEATURE ARTICLES

A symposium held at the Infection Prevention conference examined the most effective strategies to prevent infection on the ICU – including the use of chlorhexidine dressings for catheters, daily patient decontamination, better designed endotracheal tubes and VAP care bundles.

Dr DEBRA ADAMS, DEBBIE HICKS and SU DOWN provide an insight into the award-winning initiative ‘FIT4Safety’, which is striving to provide evidence-based, best practice information to all people in the diabetes care setting, who are at risk of sharps/needlestick injury.

Maternity Matters set out clear goals to improve maternity services, but a recent report claims that the implementation of the Government’s strategy has not matched its ambition.

Around-the-clock access to NHS services presents an opportunity to improve care, efficiency, productivity, outcomes and safety, but can the existing supply chain support these changes and what are the wider implications for procurement? NICOLA HALL discusses the challenges ahead.

The UK has lagged behind the rest of Europe in terms of bowel cancer survival. However, the Department of Health is striving to turn this around by increasing detection of early stage cancers, through improved screening. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The annual Reducing HCAIs conference, hosted by Govtoday, as part of its Health and Social Care Reform event series, returns to London’s Brewery Conference Centre on 18 February 2014 – this year under the theme of Improving processes, improving outcomes.

Kettering General Hospital has undertaken a pilot project to examine the potential of point-of-care testing to speed up the assessment and turnaround of patients presenting with chest pain.

Dr TIM SANDLE reports on the results of a study to compare the bacterial reduction properties of skin cleansing solutions, used to prevent infection risk arising from urinary catheter insertion.

Could the use of procedure packs help drive efficiencies and cost savings in the surgical environment and beyond, in addition to helping reduce infection rates through the introduction of more standardised procedures? SUZANNE CALLANDER reports.

JANE KIRK provides an insight into hand hygiene compliance monitoring – examining the technologies and approaches available to drive improvement in healthcare settings.

The 2nd International Targeted Temperature Management (TTM) Teaching Course took place in London in November 2013. The event presented some of the latest thinking relating to following TTM cardiac arrest and neurological trauma.

Creating a safety culture in healthcare while in the midst of an extreme environment of austerity is not an easy task, but as clinicians know, there can be no more important aspect of patient care than to work in an atmosphere where staff have positive perceptions of psychological safety, teamwork and leadership.

GRAHAM WHITESIDE explains how medical simulation can help improve patient safety and reduce medical error, ultimately saving lives and reducing healthcare expenditure.

The Government has announced plans to make the NHS ‘more open, more accountable and more focused on safety and compassion’. Among the changes include the publication of hospital staffing levels, the roll out of ‘patient safety champions’ and a new criminal offence for willful neglect.

KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS considers the actions that must be taken to help tackle the problem of antimicrobial resistance – including the latest guidance, policies and procedures.

Faced with ‘intense, growing and unsustainable pressure’, the delivery of emergency and urgent care is currently under review. A report by Sir Bruce Keogh has set out his vision to ensure a ‘sustainable’ solution.

A presentation at a recent AfPP Patient Safety roadshow focused on infection control procedures in the surgical environment, and challenged the audience to consider the avoidable cost of Surgical Site Infections (SSIs) – to both patients and the NHS.

Innovation in the NHS was recognised at an awards ceremony – highlighting new ideas with the potential to improve patient safety, increase efficiency and enhance clinical practice.

The world’s largest medical trade fair recently provided an international showcase for innovation in medical device technology. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

Vanguard Healthcare has achieved the highest levels of CQC registration, ensuring excellence in infection prevention, the care and welfare of patients, and cooperation with other providers, as well as other key inspection areas.