Anaesthetic gases are an important part of modern general anaesthesia. They allow anaesthetists to maintain unconsciousness and, in some circumstances, provide analgesia during surgery and other procedures. In UK hospitals, the main inhaled agents encountered are sevoflurane, isoflurane and nitrous oxide, while desflurane has been largely withdrawn from routine use in England because of its […]
As heatwaves associated with climate change become more frequent and intense across the United Kingdom, the NHS faces growing challenges in protecting patients, supporting staff, and maintaining safe healthcare environments. While the NHS has traditionally been designed to cope with cold winters, rising summer temperatures are exposing vulnerabilities in hospital infrastructure, many of which were […]
Triple packaging of Formalin-fixed biological specimens has become the accepted standard for transportation within hospitals and to external locations. Every day, biological specimens are transferred to hospital laboratories in pathology departments from clinical areas such as operating theatres, endoscopy departments and mortuaries. These include everything from surgical excisions, tissue biopsies, cytology preparations and large anatomical […]
When it comes to what changes are planned for the NHS, the UK government is pursuing one of the biggest restructurings of the National Health Service in decades. Through its new 10-Year Health Plan for England, ministers say they want to modernise the NHS, reduce waiting lists, improve access to local care, and shift the […]
Fluid spills in hospital operating theatres—such as blood, saline, irrigation fluids, and other bodily fluids—are both common and potentially hazardous. Effective capture and management of these fluids are essential for patient safety, staff protection, infection control, and operational efficiency. Sources and Risks of Fluid Spills Fluid spills in operating theatres arise from multiple sources, including […]
If you are involved in decontamination in hospitals, there are a raft of insightful events over the coming months. Read on to find out more. The Central Sterilisation Club Annual Scientific Meeting 2026 20th to 21st April, Nottingham. This event will cover a number of important topics including: How to balance the risk of reprocessing […]
Cairn Technology has published its Carbon Reduction Plan 2025, showing decreases in carbon emissions for both Scope 1 and Scope 2 figures. Scope 1 emissions – 100% offset The reduction in Scope 1 emissions is due to changing more of our vehicle fleet to hybrid cars, so that our field-based consultants are travelling in a […]
Cytotoxic drug spills pose significant risks to healthcare workers, patients, and the hospital environment. Understanding these risks—and how to prevent and manage them—is critical to maintaining a safe healthcare setting. What Are Cytotoxic Drugs? Cytotoxic drugs, also known as antineoplastic or chemotherapy agents, are essential in the treatment of cancer and other serious conditions. They […]
Looking for some operating theatre events offering useful insights into operating theatre management and efficiency in 2026? Don’t miss these five events for some great learning and networking experiences. The Operating Theatres Conference 2026 5th February 2026 | CorpAcq Stadium, Manchester This 11th Annual Operating Theatres Conference explores the latest innovations, strategies and best practices […]
When it comes to hazardous substances in healthcare environments, it can be easy to overlook the risk that dusts can pose. Although they can look innocuous, according to NHS Resolution, dust is among the highest occurring hazards in healthcare settings.(1) In fact, dust and fumes accounted for 37.5% of the settled claims made between 1 […]