INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL


‘Thinking outside the box’ in reducing HAIs


Thought-provoking presentations on a number of aspects of reducing healthcare-associated infections – ranging from the challenges of cleaning and decontaminating surgical instruments, to a company’s development of a range of compostable, single-use aprons made from a bio-resin – featured at a Central Sterilising Club Study Day, focused on the theme, ‘Dare to Defy the Dogma’. Louise Frampton, editor of HEJ’s sister title, The Clinical Services Journal, reports.


Held at the iconic Liverpool Medical Institute, the CSC’s Study Day was opened by Jimmy Walker, Chairman of the CSC. The programme provided some thought- provoking presentations on reducing healthcare-associated infections – from the use of probiotics in hospital environments, and balancing infection control with sustainability, to the risks associated with prion diseases and the challenges around difficult-to-clean instruments. Other highlights included the microbiological risks associated with hospital laundry; whether the overestimation of risks around the decontamination of semi-critical devices is ‘less bad’ than underestimation, and the integration of decontamination services in Liverpool.


Thinking outside the box The first session, ‘Thinking outside the box’ was chaired by Clinical Microbiologist, Mike Simmons, who introduced Dr. Mary O’Riordan, co-founder of HaPPE Earth. A clinical entrepreneur and previously a doctor for over 18 years, Dr. O’Riordan highlighted the issue of plastic PPE pollution in hospitals. It is widely acknowledged that infection prevention has presented some unintended challenges around sustainability – during the pandemic, for example, the use of single-use plastic PPE ‘escalated to enormous quantities’. This is an issue she is keen to address. Dr. O’Riordan previously worked within


the area of public health, specialising in Emergency Response for Highly Emerging, Infectious Threats. She has also been the International Health Regulations (IHR) and ECDC Irish Focal Point representative for emerging infectious threats. She realised there was a risk that her legacy would be ‘to cover the world in plastic’, so she decided to set up a family-owned business called HaPPE Earth (short for Health, Agriculture and PPE). She pointed out that plastic waste is generated at a rate approaching 400 million tonnes per year. Healthcare is a major contributor


to the single-use plastics problem. Only 18% of plastic waste is recycled, and 24% is incinerated. The remaining 58% is either sent to landfill or enters the natural environment. She realised that plastic aprons were an ideal target for improvement. During 2020, Ireland used 70 million plastic aprons and England used around 900 million. The global market is still 98% LDPE usage, with very little in the way of credible alternatives. However, if the NHS removed single-use


plastic aprons, it would mean a reduction in plastic waste by approximately 5,000 tonnes of plastic each year. Furthermore, if UK acute hospitals used on-site bio- digestion, it would mean 1.1 million tonnes of food waste could be eliminated per year and converted to nutrient rich fertiliser. To address these issues, the company


developed a range of compostable, single-use aprons made from a bio-resin – inspired by a material originally used in agriculture to grow crops.


Dr. O’Riordan outlined how the company had approached using different materials that were compostable as an alternative product to make Class 1 medical device PPE. The concept was to locate a bin in the ward, or by the bedside, which is taken to a central bio-digestion system, where it is treated to neutralise any pathogens and made into nutrient-rich fertiliser or biofuel. By locating the manufacture of the aprons in Ireland, the carbon footprint is also significantly reduced compared with importing aprons from overseas. An initial trial was carried out at a local hospital in Ireland. “The staff loved it. It looked the same, it was breathable and met all the standards, so everyone was happy,” she commented. She added that the concept has helped to move away from the traditional incineration cycle, by setting up a complete solution that includes food waste into the bio-digestion cycle. “We created a compostable bin that has


The risks associated with prion diseases, and the challenges around difficult-to-clean instruments, were among the topics discussed at the CSC Study Day.


May 2024 Health Estate Journal 33


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