Media Release: New Decontamination Services for King’s College Hospital
Decon Sciences began the supply of surgical instrument reprocessing to King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in London in July 2006. This new development introduced a unique delivery system to the NHS based on the sterile supply chain model.
With the new delivery system, reprocessing is carried out at another local NHS trust Sterile Services Unit that has spare capacity. Decon Sciences provides the central point of contact and management for a supply chain that brings together the expertise of the NHS Sterile Services Unit, a specialist logistics company and Scantrack Healthcare Systems (UK) Ltd.
This model of supply adds value to the NHS in a number of ways. It provides a stable income for the NHS Sterile Services Unit, helping them sustain their in-house service in an improved way by utilising the efficiencies of a commercial company to support development. It supports the King’s College trust in a way they had not experienced previously, providing a central point of contact for all issues and risks to be managed through a single organisation with a wide range of expertise.
The new model has driven change at King’s College, ensuring the trust maintains its compliance with the Healthcare Commission’s standards for decontamination of medical devices. It has also provided a development partner for current and future sterile supply chain strategy.
The Head of Perioperative Services at Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said, “This innovative model of service delivery has proved valuable to the organisation. At times the transition has been challenging but the partnership approach and support has proved worthwhile through this process.”
The trust’s Associate Director of Procurement said, “This model has provided reporting not previously seen. This has given Trust Managers the opportunity to improve the instrument fleet and respond quickly to clinical staff requests.”
Decon Sciences Ltd was established to participate in NHS Decontamination Super Centre projects. As well as successfully working with the NHS for six years through its wholly owned subsidiary, Scantrack Healthcare Systems (UK) Ltd, Decon Sciences has now completed a number of high profile projects in the UK, Europe and the United States. It was this experience and its broad expertise in decontamination, sterilisation, healthcare management, strategy, infection control, HR and IT solutions that enabled Decon Sciences to bid successfully for this contract to support King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in the provision of decontamination services.