Follow us on twitter: @csjmagazine
COMMENT
From ‘Cinderella service’ to ‘healthcare science’ THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL
DECONTAMINATION & STERILISATION
Editor
Louise Frampton
louiseframpton@stepcomms.com
Technical Editor Kate Woodhead
Business Manager Dean Walford
deanwalford@stepcomms.com
Sales Executive
Holly Goldring
hollygoldring@stepcomms.com
Journal Administration Katy Cockle
katycockle@stepcomms.com
Design Steven Dillon Publisher
Geoff King
geoffking@stepcomms.com
Publishing Director Trevor Moon
trevormoon@stepcomms.com
The decontamination community is bracing itself for the challenges ahead as the NHS faces the enormous task of tackling the backlog of elective surgery and clinical procedures. There will be significant pressures to turn around reprocessed instruments faster and at greater volumes than ever before, but patient safety must never be compromised. Efficiency gains by optimising processes and technology will be vital in the months ahead. In this issue, we speak to thought leaders and industry experts about the challenges ahead, potential solutions, and the direction the sector could take in the future to capitalise on technology – from artificial intelligence and machine learning, to increased automation. During the pandemic, it has been heartening to see how sterile services technicians have risen to the challenges and adapted. According to our reader survey, there also appears to have been some unexpected positive outcomes from the COVID pandemic in terms of improved team working and a greater interest in staff wellbeing, which Trusts must take forward as we move into a post pandemic era. The decontamination sector has come a long way in recent years and there are significant efforts to upskill, grow and train the workforce to deliver the highest standards, to ensure the NHS continues to be
THE CLINICAL SERVICES JOURNAL is published in January, February, March, April, May, June, August, September, October and November by Step Communications Ltd, Step House, North Farm Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 3DR, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1892 779999 Fax: +44 (0)1892 616177 Email:
info@clinicalservicesjournal.com Web:
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com
one of the safest healthcare organisations in the world. However, staff need to be rewarded for their extra efforts too. There must be a greater incentive for staff to pursue further development and education opportunities, if we are to keep pushing the bar even higher. Behind every healthcare-acquired infection, there is someone’s mother, father, son or daughter. Sterile services are the trusted but often forgotten guardians of patient safety and yet they provide a vital role in ensuring surgeons deliver on their promise of ‘first do no harm’. The decontamination sector is quickly evolving from a ‘Cinderella service’, into an advanced healthcare science – supported by university-led research, data-driven technologies and carefully thought-out educational platforms. This Decontamination Supplement aims to provide an insight into that journey…
Louise Frampton l Editor
louiseframpton@stepcomms.com
Join the CSJ LinkedIn group Search for ‘Clinical Services Journal’
Follow us on twitter: @csjmagazine
CONTENTS
52 Cover story: Pushing boundaries in infection prevention
57 Impact of COVID-19
on sterile services A recent survey found that, during the pandemic, decontamination staff rose to the challenges, adapted to change and experienced an enhanced sense of team spirit.
59 Challenges and
© Step Communications Ltd, 2021 Single copy: £19.00 per issue. Annual journal subscription: UK £114.00 Overseas: £150.00
ISSN No. 1478-5641
The Publisher is unable to take any responsibility for views expressed by contributors. Editorial views are not necessarily shared by the journal. Readers are expressly advised that while the contents of this publication are believed to be accurate, correct and complete, no reliance should be placed upon its contents as being applicable to any particular circumstances. This publication is copyright under the Berne Convention and the International Copyright Convention. All rights reserved, apart from any copying under the UK Copyright Act 1956, part 1, section 7. Multiple copies of the contents of the publication without permission is always illegal.
opportunities for SSDs Louise Frampton recently interviewed the new chair of the Central Sterilising Club (CSC), Jimmy Walker, on his views on the challenges and opportunities facing sterile services departments (SSD) – from reprocessing PPE and COVID-19, to innovation and training.
64 Tackling key issues in
decontamination The IDSc’s Tony Sullivan spoke to CSJ about the challenges the sector has faced and issues that still need to be addressed – from cleaning robotic instruments and rationalisation of theatre sets, to variation in pay scales for technicians across Trusts.
APRIL 2021 69 Increasing sensitivity of
protein detection Dr. Rodolphe Hervé, from the University of Southampton, describes the implementation of fluorescence epi- microscopy for the detection of protein residues in SSDs.
74 Meeting demand for extra capacity
As the NHS faces an unprecedented backlog of surgeries and endoscopies, decontamination departments will face significant pressures to increase capacity. Could technology and automation help meet the demand for increased efficiencies?
79 Driving improvement in
steam sterilisation Angelo Giambrone explores how decontamination leads can drive improvements in steam quality to deliver reliable and consistent sterilisation of reusable medical devices.
83 Can digital platforms help
us control infections? Neelam Sheikh considers how digital platforms could help drive efficiencies, control infections and improve patient safety.
WWW.CLINICALSERVICESJOURNAL.COM l 51
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88
