THOUGHT L EADE RSHI P
‘why have they built it this way?’ There is a lot of innovation that could be done,” commented Tony.
Tackling pay issues He identified further potential for standardisation within the sector in relation to pay grades. There is vast disparity between staff pay, grades and roles between Trusts, according to Tony: “In one Trust, the decontamination manager may be responsible for sterile services for instruments and endoscopy, laundry and external decontamination work. At another Trust, the decontamination manager may simply be responsible for sterile services. Every hospital should have the same structure, so that decontamination managers can move to any hospital in the UK, slot straight in and know exactly what is expected of them. “They shouldn’t be expected to take responsibility for duties outside of their skill set; extra duties continue to be piled on and when things go wrong, these individuals are then held to account and blamed. Scotland and Wales have made inroads in creating a standardised approach with a clear structure, but NHS England needs to look more closely at this,” he asserted.
Elevating the role of decontamination technician He pointed out that, historically, there has been a tendency to view the decontamination of instruments as ‘just cleaning’, yet it is a complex and skilled task requiring detailed knowledge. “Decontamination has finally been accepted into the ‘healthcare sciences’ in recognition that it requires scientific knowledge. Despite this, technicians are not given the financial recognition they deserve and this needs to change. The role should be a minimum Band 3 – yet many hospitals class the decontamination technician role as Band 2. Often, this depends on how forceful the manager is and how effectively they argue the case for paying a higher rate. When some Trusts have merged, this has also caused problems as some people have found they are doing the same job as their colleagues but for less pay,” Tony explained. As part of its commitment to advancing careers and training within the sector, IDSc has just relaunched its technical certificate, which has now been accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. It is now an accredited training course. If an individual passes, it is the equivalent of an NVQ 3. However, Tony believes that to make it attractive, students that achieve the certificate should also be rewarded financially: “Education is vital. Decontamination has changed so much, even in the past 10 years. Sterile services
staff are expected to do a lot more than other Band 2 staff in the NHS. This is not devaluating the important contribution of other Band 2 roles, but the skill set required is much greater compared to other roles that are awarded this pay scale. It is easy to see why a decontamination technician might say ‘why should I take a training course if it is not reflected in my salary?’ This is holding the decontamination discipline back,” he commented. Tony added that he would welcome greater collaboration with organisations – such as the Central Sterilising Club, Infection Prevention Society, Healthcare Infection Society and the Association for Perioperative Practice – on developing educational opportunities. In particular, the IDSc could
have a valuable contribution to educating staff working in closely aligned departments. “If infection control staff undertook the
IDSc Technical Certificate 2 (which offers an introduction to decontamination), they would have a much greater understanding of what is required to drive improvement and best practice,” he commented. “We all share a common goal of improving patient safety. If we get the education and collaboration right, this can only be for the benefit of the patient. We have a really forward-thinking board and IDSc will be driving forward the education programmes – not just in the UK, but globally. With an exciting educational programme, backed by research and development, the IDSc has a fantastic future,” he concluded.
CSJ The IDSc: a brief history
Today, the routine undertaking of disinfection, sterilisation and decontamination of reusable medical devices by trained professionals in dedicated controlled environments is an essential measure that manages the risks associated with health care acquired infections (HCAI) and ensures the safety of patients and staff. Yet prior to the late 1950s, healthcare facilities in the UK did not have central sterile services departments (CSSDs). While CSSDs had been successfully pioneered by the British Army at home and abroad, it wasn’t until the publication of the Nuffield Report in 1958 that the concept of CSSDs was put forward as a necessary requirement on a national scale.
During these early years of CSSD implementation, individuals interested in infection control began to come together to discuss the rapid developments that were occurring in the sector. In 1967, department superintendents formed the Association of Sterile Supplies Managers (ASSM), the predecessor to the Institute of Sterile Services Management (ISSM), which came into being in 1984. By 2004, the ISSM had evolved far beyond its original remit: its membership consisted of all kinds of decontamination professionals as well as allied professions,
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and its professional development training programmes were renowned for achieving and maintaining standards of excellence in the sterile services. Also instrumental in fostering and leading active debate, research and development within the field of decontamination sciences, the Institute underwent an official name change to better reflect the breadth of its work: the Institute of Decontamination Sciences (IDSc). In 2017 the IDSc celebrated its 50th anniversary. From its initial inception as the ASSM in 1967, the IDSc has actively developed and grown in strength to become recognised as a key professional body in the UK framework that manages risks associated with HCAI in medical devices reprocessing, therefore playing a fundamental role in achieving in effective patient
outcomes.As the UK’s biggest professional body for medical device reprocessing, the IDSc continues to embrace the challenges that arise within the decontamination sector. It has actively engaged with and helped to lead the major review of traditional standards and practice in all areas of decontamination that occurred in response to the emergence of CJD and the complexities of prion deactivation and encourages future growth, improvement and advances within this rapidly evolving field.
www.idsc-uk.co.uk
APRIL 2021
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