Information has been provided by the Department of Health Estates and Facilities Division relating to changes to the surgical instrument decontamination guidance revision programme arising from the NICE recommendations and ESAC-Pr stakeholder consultation.
In support of the implementation of the NICE guidance, DH has asked ESAC-Pr to moderate a stakeholder consultation process, which will take place in London on Wednesday 18 April. In addition, DH intends to conduct a further National Decontamination Survey to ascertain the current level of quality systems implementation in those centres engaged with neurosurgical and/or posterior ophthalmic instrument decontamination. Information arising from all of the above may have an impact on the management and technical content of the current revision of the decontamination Heath Technical Memoranda (HTM 01-01). There is as an obvious overriding need to ensure that guidance follows policy direction and that both are as current as the evidence base allows and are free from any contradiction.
Against this background, it has been decided to review the publication schedules for decontamination guidance with a revised target date, such that HTM 01-01 Part A “Management and Environment” will not now be published until 30 September 2007. The subsequent sections of HTM 01-01, Part B “Equipment” and guidance for decontamination in specific functional areas, eg endoscopy, will follow later.
The objectives are to establish best practice, protect public health and safeguard the individual patient against both conventional infection and the possibility of prion-related disease transmission.
If you have any queries regarding the above, then please contact Ken Holmes at ken.holmes@dh.gsi.gov.uk or on 0113 254 5010.
