Decontamination under the spotlight

There are many changes taking place within the decontamination and sterile services sector today and the annual Institute of Decontamation Sciences (IDSc) event will be focusing on these issues, making the event relevant for anyone involved in the processing of re-useable medical devices. 

According to figures from the National Institute for Care and Excellence (NICE) an estimated 300,000 people pick up hospitalacquired infections every year. Infection control and decontamination solutions are vital in the struggle against outbreaks. While infection figures have been significantly reduced in recent years, there is still work to do and new decontamination technologies are helping to continue to reduce infection rates. Ultra-violet light and hydrogen peroxide vapour solutions, along with low-temperature sterilisation solutions for decontaminating high-tech medical devices, for example are today helping many NHS Trusts to cost-effectively manage the challenges of infection outbreaks. The exhibition area, which forms part of the event offers delegates an opportunity to see and discuss many of the latest innovations. 

The opening session of the conference will include speakers from the UK Department of Health and its support groups who are currently involved in developing and coordinating the transfer of sterile services into professional decontamination healthcare scientific services. The keynote address this year will come from Dr Richard Scott, professional lead clincial engineering at the National School of Healthcare Science which was established in October 2011, hosted by Health Education England (HEE) West Midlands. As part of the Modernising Scientific Careers (MSC) programme the school was set up to support the implementation and delivery of the new healthcare science education and training programmes to ensure compliance within the structures of ‘Liberating the NHS: Developing Healthcare Workforce – Policy 16977’, which came into force early in 2012. It partners with a variety of professional bodies, Royal colleges, Universities, national and regional education and commissioning leads, as well as NHS establishments, which puts Dr Scott in a good position to comment on sector developments.