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Trusts join forces to provide education on key decontamination issues
DECON UK is back for 2024 following the success of the 2022 and 2023 events. A joint event by three major NHS Trusts, the event provides valuable insights into decontamination and infection prevention – from fundamentals of decontamination to microbiological risks associated with laundry decontamination. The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust jointly organise DECON UK 2024, providing high quality educational content with a comprehensive programme, covering water, air and sustainability. Taking place on 17 April 2024, the event is free to healthcare professionals and is expected to host over 150 healthcare professionals from various fields within the decontamination sector. DECON UK 2024 will be of particular interest to
sterile services managers, decontamination leads, GPs, theatre nurses, infection prevention and control and endoscopy staff. This free event promises to offer delegates the
latest in decontamination education and expertise, with informative sessions and a range of exhibiting companies. Confirmed sessions include: l Fundamentals of decontamination. l Do we know about outbreaks caused by decontamination breaches? Probably not.
l Microbiological risks associated with laundry decontamination.
l Clarification of the standards and HTM guidance for laundry decontamination.
l Probing the Depths: A quest for Pristine Probes – is it possible?
l Automated decontamination.
Confirmed Speakers include: l Mark Garvey l Martin Kiernan l Dr. David Jenkins l Karren Stanfield l Wayne Spencer l Mrs Jincy Jerry l Dr. Phil Norville
This year’s conference venue is the National Conference Centre (NCC) Birmingham, centrally situated at J6 on the M42 with excellent transport links to Birmingham International Airport and train station. The platinum sponsor for the event is Pentax Medical and there are currently two gold sponsors for 2024: Sychem, and Wassenburg Medical. For more information and full event details visit:
https://fitwise.eventsair.com/deconuk2024/join- the-conversation
New BRCA gene testing programme
Tens of thousands of people with Jewish ancestry who are more likely to carry a genetic fault that can increase the risk of developing some cancers will receive genetic testing through a new programme announced by the NHS in England. With plans to identify thousands more people carrying faults in the BRCA genes over the next two years, so they can seek early access to surveillance and prevention services, the testing programme is part of the NHS’s major drive to catch tumours early when they are easier to treat. BRCA refers to two genes, BRCA1 and BRCA2, which repair DNA damage and normally help to protect against cancer. Some individuals are born with a fault in one of these genes, and this increases their likelihood of developing certain cancers, including breast, ovarian, prostate and pancreatic cancer. The new national NHS Jewish BRCA Testing
Programme will see anyone over the age of 18 with Jewish ancestry offered a simple genetic saliva test to look for the presence of BRCA1 or BRCA2 faults. People with at least one Jewish grandparent can register for a saliva kit to be sent to their home address by visiting: https://
jewishbrca.org/
New breast screening figures prompt fresh uptake appeal
Thousands of women are being urged to attend NHS breast screening appointments as new figures show that, despite a slight increase in uptake in the last year, over a third of women still did not take up the potentially lifesaving offer. In 2022-23, a total of 1.93 million women aged
50 to 70 (64.6%) attended screening appointments (within six months of invitation) out of the 2.98 million invited to book a check-up – an increase in uptake on 2021-22 (62.3%). However, 35.4% of women did not attend their appointments following an invitation, increasing to 46.3% of women who were being invited for the first time. The screening programme led to cancers being detected in 18,942 women across England in 2022-23, which otherwise may not have been diagnosed and treated until a later stage. NHS England is calling for women to put their health at the top of their to-do list and come forward for breast screening when invited. The call comes following a major £70m
Government investment in the Digital Transformation of Screening initiative to modernise
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www.clinicalservicesjournal.com I March 2024
by NHS England, the NHS Breast Screening Programme, England 2022-23 report also found that uptake was highest in the South East at 68.0% and lowest in London at 55.4%.
screening services over the next three years. The breast screening service will be one of the first to benefit, with an ambition to provide more tailored communications and more booking options for women, including online and call centre booking. This will make it easier than ever before for women to book and manage their appointments. Published
Dr. Louise Wilkinson, Consultant Radiologist and National Specialist Advisor for Breast Screening at NHS England, said: “Around one in seven women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime, and detecting it at an early stage helps give people the best chance of successful treatment. These figures show that 18,942 women were diagnosed and able to seek treatment because they attended breast screening check-ups last year. We know that lives are saved when cancers are caught early.” Health Minister Maria Caulfield said: “It is vital that women come forward for breast screening when invited, as early cancer diagnosis can make all the difference. We’re making it as easy as possible to attend appointments and screening rates are rising, but there are still too many women missing out so I urge everyone receiving that text invite or that letter to book a check-up – it could be lifesaving.”
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