Chemotherapy can lower a patient’s white blood cell count. Cancers can also make existing white blood cells less effective at fighting bacteria and viruses. This means that, for chemotherapy patients, even common infections can be much harder to treat, and a lot more dangerous – or even fatal. In this post we’ll discuss some ways […]
The NHS is currently facing a significant backlog that shows no sign of easing in the foreseeable future. As a measure for easing the pressures, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has discussed greater investment in social care. In this post, we’ll explore the link between adult social care and hospital discharges. We shall explain how investing […]
It takes a lot of people to run a successful operating theatre. The most efficient operating theatre is one in which everyone knows their own role and responsibilities, as this means that everyone can depend on everything being done that needs to be done. In this post we’ll explore the various operating theatre staff roles, […]
Regularly and thoroughly cleaning and decontaminating ambulances is essential for effective infection prevention and control. Ambulance Cleaning and Decontamination Challenges But there are several factors that make ambulance cleaning and decontamination challenging. It can be cramped inside an ambulance, and the sheer amount of equipment contained within can make quick cleans particularly difficult. Plus, ambulances […]
UK ambulance waiting times are bad, and they show every sign of getting worse. Some cases have been so severe that they’ve made the news. For example, an 85 year old in Cornwall had to wait a total of 40 hours to get to A&E. This included 14 hours for the ambulance to reach her, […]
A recent report found that over 2,000 UK health centres are located in areas with dangerously high levels of air pollution. Air pollution can have a severe effect on hospital staff and patients. The risks are particularly high for patients from vulnerable groups, such as children and elderly people, and for patients suffering with respiratory […]
The Patient Safety and Infection Prevention Show will run at the Healthcare Show taking place 26-27 April 2023 at ExCel London. This is a two-day dedicated conference supporting doctors, nurses, infection prevention and control professionals, and any other healthcare professionals interested in the latest solutions for preventing infections and improving care quality standards. What To […]
Electrosurgery and electrocautery seem like broadly similar processes, as both involve making use of electrical currents in surgical procedures, and both involve cauterising wounds to limit blood loss. But despite their similar names, the two processes are actually highly distinct, and each is used to achieve a specific outcome in a surgical setting. So in […]
Operating theatre managers are responsible for ensuring the successful running of the operating theatre environment. But what does this actually involve? What does an operating theatre manager actually do? In this post we’ll discuss some of the key responsibilities for operating theatre managers, while exploring ways managers can improve efficiency and care standards in their […]
Particulate matter (PM) is a class of air pollution covering everything in the atmosphere that isn’t a gas. This includes a huge range of chemical compounds and materials which air quality experts classify in terms of their particle size. What is PM10? Particulate matter containing particles with a diameter of 10 micrometres or smaller. Examples […]