The latest IPS Clinical Conversations is in partnership with the Royal College of Nursing and brings together leading voices from infection prevention and control and nursing to tackle one of healthcare’s most important, and often overlooked, patient safety challenges: the cleaning and decontamination of reusable shared patient equipment. This episode’s discussion explores the realities facing frontline teams and practical ways to improve safety across healthcare settings.
Hosted by Jude Robinson, IPS President, the conversation features Monet Marinas, Professional Lead for Infection Prevention and Control at the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Kerry Holden, IPS Vice President and Deputy Director for Infection Prevention and Control at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and Professor Martin Kiernan. Together, they examine the gap between national guidance and day-to-daycleaning and decontamination, sharing honest reflections on what works, what does not, and where opportunities for improvement exist.
The conversation explores several challenges familiar to infection prevention professionals, including:
- Translating national guidance into workable local practice
- Ensuring staff have the time, resources and training needed to decontaminate equipment safely
- Improving the design of medical equipment so it can be cleaned more effectively
- Developing meaningful assurance measures rather than relying solely on observational audits
- Balancing sustainability ambitions with patient safety requirements
- Recognising and valuing the expertise of cleaning and decontamination professionals.
One particularly thought-provoking discussion focuses on the need to move beyond simply writing policies and expecting compliance. The panel highlights the importance of designing systems around the people who use them, involving frontline staff in decision-making and making the safest option the easiest option.
The experts also challenge traditional thinking around cleaning services, calling for greater recognition of the specialist skills required to keep healthcare environments safe. They discuss opportunities for enhanced training, career development pathways and stronger multidisciplinary collaboration between clinical, facilities and infection prevention teams.
As healthcare continues to evolve, with increasing patient acuity, workforce pressures and sustainability ambitions, the conversation provides valuable insights into how organisations can strengthen their approach to decontamination while maintaining a focus on patient safety.
Watch the full Clinical Conversation below to hear the panel’s practical advice, expert perspectives and recommendations for supporting safer, more effective decontamination practices across healthcare settings.
