FEATURE ARTICLES

SUSAN PEARSON reports on a new method for monitoring Legionella in water systems which can provide accurate results in hours, instead of weeks. It could soon be used for compliance testing for Legionella counts if UKAS accreditation is achieved.

MARK EATON argues that Lean methodologies have an important role to play in tackling the divergence of processes and approaches in the healthcare environment to offer productivity and safety improvements.

The Clinical Services Journal reviews a recent Health Briefing issued by the Audit Commission, which looks at how Primary Care Trusts are spending on low clinical value surgical treatments and how they are making decisions on which procedures warrant the title “low clinical value”.

SUZANNE CALLANDER reports on an automated auditing solution which has supported Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s turnaround to become one of the most improved Trusts in relation to healthcare associated infections.

Dr KEL PALMER, clinical director for the CROMES project, discusses the reasons for the introduction of this toolkit which has been produced to offer guidance on the diagnosis and management of upper GI bleeding.

MARK GREENER explores the role of octenidine in helping to deal with HAIs, and argues that effective infection control requires us to think beyond the hospital doors.

KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS reports on a toolkit designed to make handovers between doctors, nurses and healthcare teams safer for the patient. She believes it will be of considerable value to teams wishing to improve their culture of patient safety.

SUZANNE CALLANDER reports on the winners of this year’s Clinical Engineering Team of the Year, an annual award for medical engineering teams, which aims to encourage the implementation of innovative solutions to the management of medical devices.

The annual report of data collected and recommendations made by the UK’s independent haemovigilance scheme was announced at the SHOT Annual Symposium, early in July, at The Royal Society of Medicine.

The Clinical Services Journal looks at the issues raised by a recent National Audit Office report which identifies a need for Trusts to secure greater value for money when buying and operating high value capital equipment.

The Clinical Services Journal looks into the findings of a report which calls for UK hospitals to adopt a zero tolerance approach to preventable surgical site infections.

The third report of the National Kidney Care Audit for Vascular Access has presented its findings from data for patients starting dialysis between the 1 January and 30 June 2010, providing information on the timely and appropriate surgery for permanent vascular access, based on the recommendations of the standards and quality requirements stated in the National Service Framework (NSF) for Renal Services.

The Clinical Services Journal reports on the first UK test site for a new endoscope management solution that allows users to remotely monitor the decontamination process in real-time.

The final report of the National Sentinel Stroke Audit has shown that care for patients with stroke is still improving in the UK. However, there are still some issues that do need to be addressed. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

COLIN HUNT argues that ATP bioluminescence has an important role to play in helping to cost-effectively verify that environmental surfaces are sufficiently clean in the healthcare environment.

The Infection Prevention Society annual conference and exhibition has become an important event in the calendar of healthcare professionals involved in infection prevention and control. This year the event will again be held in Bournemouth, from 19-21 September.

JAMES E C BEAVES BSc discusses the reasons for placing the additional burden of E. coli bacteraemia reporting on already stretched microbiology departments and looks at the tools available to make the identification of resistant E. coli bacteraemias quicker and easier.

DAVID BENNETT examines how a new range of biological grafts is adding a new dimension to soft tissue repair.

Point-of-care immunoassay cardiac and thrombosis testing in the A&E department at Stoke Mandeville Hospital is saving time and resources and improving patient care.

Following the recent NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) pledge, to increase organ donation by 50% by 2013, BARRY HILL examines the background to this move and the key role being played within it by specialist organ donation healthcare professionals.