IDSc PREVIEW 2012


Decontamination issues examined


Leading experts in the field of decontamination sciences will be discussing key issues facing sterile services staff, at the IDSc annual conference – from the implementation of regulation and standards, to the drive to achieve savings and efficiencies.


The Institute of Decontamination Sciences (IDSc) will be hosting its 45th Anniversary IDSc Conference at the Hilton Hotel Blackpool, 26-28 November 2012 – attracting leading experts in the field of decontamination and numerous delegates working across the field of sterile services in the UK. The opening speaker will be John


Wilkinson OBE, the director of medical devices at the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA). John Wilkinson joined the MHRA earlier this year and has wide-ranging experience of the medical device technology sectors in Europe, the United States and the UK. His role at the authority is to lead on the


safety of medical devices – including reviewing future medical devices regulation. John Wilkinson will speak to members


about the role of the MHRA and how it intends to collaborate with the profession on developing both the science and practice of Medical Device Decontamination, to further improve patient safety.


CfPP: your questions answered There will also be a session on the newly released Choice Frameworks for Local Policies and Procedures (CFPP 01-01 Part a-e and CfPP 01-06). There will be an expert panel that will answer delegate’s questions on CfPP and provide views from England, Scotland,Wales and Northern Ireland.


About the IDSc


In the UK, Sterile Services Departments (SSDs) were pioneered and developed in the late 1950s following the successful supply of pre-sterile sets of surgical instruments and dressings by the Royal Army Medical Corps to support the suez crisis. As part of the early development of


the service, Superintendents managing the departments formed the Association of Sterile Supplies Managers (ASSM). This was the predecessor to the Institute of Sterile Services Management (ISSM), which evolved in 1984. In November 2004, the ISSM


changed its official name to The Institute of Decontamination Sciences (IDSc). This name change reflects, acknowledges and encompasses all


NOVEMBER 2012


decontamination professionals, allied professions, clinical services and the challenges of safe healthcare provision. From the inception of the ASSM, the IDSc has continued to develop and grow in strength, and is now recognised as a key professional body in the UK framework, managing all of the risks associated with Healthcare-acquired Infections (HCAI) in medical devices reprocessing. The control and reduction of HCAI


is fundamental to effective patient outcomes. Patients have the right, enshrined in UK law, to expect professional competence in the decontamination process, and that the medical devices used in any intervention are fit for purpose and decontaminated to the highest standards. The IDSc embraces the challenges


faced in helping to reduce the risks of infection and is committed in ensuring the provision of competent staff that can meet the technical and operational challenges of medical device decontamination. The risks associated with medical


device reprocessing has a very high public profile following the emergence of Creutzfeldt Jacob Disease. The requirement for prion deactivation during the decontamination process has led to a major review of traditional standards and practice in all areas of decontamination from acute SSDs to GP practices, endoscopy and dental services. The IDSc remains the biggest UK professional body for medical device reprocessing and at the forefront of this rapidly evolving field.


THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL 63


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