FEATURE ARTICLES

The seventh international conference of the Hospital Infection Society recently took place in Liverpool – covering topics ranging from infection control and epidemiology, to surveillance and decontamination. High on the agenda was the subject of C. difficile. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Extending the range of day case surgery is a declared aim of the new coalition Government. There are significant benefits to both hospitals and patients, from reducing healthcare-acquired infection to shorter waiting times for operations, so what is preventing day surgery? What are the barriers that need to be addressed and how can patient selection be expanded? LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

KATE WOODHEAD RGN DMS examines the issue of blood borne infection – reviewing the latest guidance aimed at protecting healthcare workers.

A newly adopted directive from Europe will strengthen the future protection for all workers at risk of sharps injuries.

Empirical data on safety, clinician efficiency, as well as patient and family considerations, have often been lacking when procuring bedhead panels and pendants for theatres and ICUs. In recent years, there have been calls for clinical teams to have greater input and control over the specification of such systems.

Returning to the AfPP’s annual Congress as a popular keynote speaker, Martin Bromiley, chair of the Clinical Human Factors Group, gave a compelling presentation on the issue of patient safety and provided an insight into the reasons why people fail to speak up, or act, to prevent disaster – even when the dangers are obvious. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Leadership, poor hand hygiene compliance, and rising levels of drug-resistance were among the key topics of discussion at the Infection Prevention Society’s conference, held in Bournemouth. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Working in conjunction with the NHS Technology Adoption Hub, the urology team at Musgrove Park Hospital has improved patient safety through the implementation of an ultrasound-guided catheterisation technique.

Last year saw the inaugural Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Week in the UK, the first collaboration of its kind in the pancreatic cancer community. This year, it will be repeated from 22-28 November with a view to reducing mortality through earlier recognition and intervention.

JAMES PARSONS argues that the current framework for procurement of temporary staff needs to be reassessed to ensure that gaps in current staff provision, particularly in specialist areas, are addressed.

The Institute of Decontamination Services annual conference and exhibition is set to take place at the Hilton Hotel, Blackpool, 29 November to 1 December 2010. The Clinical Services Journal provides an overview of the solutions and innovations that exhibitors will be highlighting at the event, as well as the key themes to be raised during the conference programme.

The European market for custom procedure trays (CPTs) is set for rapid growth of over 12% by 2015 – driven by the need to deliver improved efficiencies and infection control. Studies suggest that time savings of up to 59% can be achieved when preparing the operating room, while the number of procedures performed at one hospital increased by 47%.

As an increasing number of surgeons are being forced to operate without an assistant, could robotic assistance help to address the impact of the European Working Time Directive? The Clinical Services Journal reports on the latest developments in robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery.

In the current financial climate, the challenge faced by the NHS is how to “do more for less”. However, what contribution could quality improvements have in releasing the savings required in these tough times? LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The UK continues to lag behind other countries in terms of length of hospital stay, while there is significant scope to increase the number of operations performed as day case procedures.

Patient safety was a central theme throughout the Association for Perioperative Practice’s annual Congress. Key figures spoke candidly about their experiences, the need to protect whistleblowers, and the difficulties they encountered in raising concerns. LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

New developments in hybrid scanning, the latest approaches in treating atrial fibrillation; improvements in prosthesis design; and the development of a “bloodless scalpel” that uses high-energy ultrasound, are among the key advances highlighted at MEDICA 2010.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is developing a number of quality standards to enable Trusts to benchmark their services and evaluate the quality of care being delivered across a wide range of services. The Clinical Services Journal reports.

A major culture change will be required if the NHS is to deliver cost savings without compromising quality. In these tough economic times, the question arises: “Can Lord Darzi’s vision of ‘High Quality Care for All’ survive into the future?” LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

Experts at Barts and The London NHS Trust are campaigning to raise awareness of the risk of unretrieved device fragments posed by poor quality surgical instruments, which can lead to infection, perforation or obstruction of blood vessels, and even death.

Professor McMahon speaks to LOUISE FRAMPTON about the importance of surgeon-led innovation and reveals how he transformed a novel idea, aimed at improving the safety of laparoscopic surgery, into an award-winning business.