FEATURE ARTICLES

On Wednesday 8 May 2019, delegates headed to the Madejski Stadium in Reading to attend the Leading Excellence in Endoscopy Decontamination study day, hosted by iM Med. The Clinical Services Journalshares some of the highlights from this fascinating day.

The term ‘no-deal Brexit’ has been used so much over the last year that many have become all but immune to its real meaning. The Clinical Services Journal examines what the impact of this may mean to the NHS.

Paul O’Hanlon, managing director, Omnicell UK & Ireland,warns that a standardised medication system is urgently required in hospitals in order to improve patient safety.

Daniel Streetman PharmD, MS of Wolters Kluwer, Health, discusses the potential for pharmacogenomics to transform the efficacy of prescribed drugs and reduce instances of adverse drug reactions. He also explores the professional, ethical and logistical challenges that still need to be overcome for genomics to achieve widespread traction in the UK.

In 2018, mobile medical unit provider EMS Healthcare launched Quest+ Decontamination – the UK’s first mobile endoscope decontamination unit. To date, the unit has saved NHS Trusts in the region of £5.375 million1 through responding directly to the challenges they are facing.

Richard Bancroft, BSc(Hons), science and technical director at STERIS Corporation,discusses the importance of high performance detergents for cleaning reusable medical devices.

Driven by budget pressures, an ageing population and the emergence of a new technophilic generation, demand for innovation in healthcare has never been higher. However, Chloe Moss, analyst at Health Enterprise East, warns that, while opportunities undoubtedly exist for the scientist or clinician-turned entrepreneur, many sadly fail to bring their technologies to life.

When examining the regulations and directives governing the manufacture and sale of disinfectants and cleaners, Clare Clark - BSc (Hons)Microbiology, ACIST, MRB, technical support manager, schülke UK, explains why it is necessary to consider what constitutes a medical device (MD), and why this is significant.

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, which employs more than 5600 staff and has a 570-bed capacity, has been using electronic patient records since 2015. Having built on these firm foundations, the Global Digital Exemplar ‘Fast Follower’ Trust is starting to realise the multiple clinical and efficiency benefits that come with digital transformation.

Amongst the pressures of delivering digital transformation at scale, clinical teams need more support and investment to ensure IT systems are safe to use and fit-for-purpose, says Stephen Seagreen-Bell, managing director of Transforming Healthcare Consultancy.

When Royal Papworth Hospital opened a new, state-of-the-art hospital, it required a flexible patient monitoring solution capable of ensuring the highest levels of patient safety. Working collaboratively with Mindray, the prestigious hospital developed a bespoke, connected solution that ensures seamless monitoring throughout the entire patient journey.

In this article, Hiroshi Yasuhara MD, OR medical director at The Surgical Center at the University of Tokyo Hospital, presents what he dubs ‘a universal model for estimating the appropriate size for new operating theatres’.

Associate professor Philip Evans from the National Institute for Health Research (NHR) discusses NHS England’s five year framework for the GP services contract1 in support of the NHS Long Term Plan - with the aim of expanding GP services through billions of pounds of extra investment.

The Infection Prevention Society plays host to the 12th annual Infection Prevention 2019 conference at the ACC in Liverpool. The educational event provides insight for all those working in infection prevention and control environments.

Clinical research in England is growing at a record pace - with the number of participants involved in clinical trials the highest since records began, and record numbers of studies open for recruitment over the last financial year.

In January 2019 the NHS Long Term Plan was published with some aspirational ideas about how healthcare needs to evolve over the next 10 years to deliver the needs of the population. Kate Woodhead RGN DMS believes a key unanswered element of the plan was, “Where are the people coming from to deliver this grand scheme for the future?”

This year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) celebrated its 20th anniversary. Dr Anne Blackwood, CEO at Health Enterprise East explains how collaboration can help health and care systems adopt new medical technologies faster.

If IT changes that have a potential clinical effect are being implemented within the NHS, then clinical safety is important. Dr Ian Jackson, medical director and clinical safety officer at Refero, believes the CSO role in a primary care setting is no longer optional -but necessary.

Each year on 5 May,the World Health Organization’s World Hand Hygiene Day takes place. The Clinical Services Journal finds out how this year’s global campaign has continued the effort to improve hand hygiene in healthcare settings.

Gina Sloan PhD, director of innovations at Microban International, discusses hygiene considerations for healthcare environments, and how the inclusion of antimicrobial surfaces can enhance existing protocols and hygiene practices.