Agenda
07:45 – 09:15
Manxman
Registration, Coffee & Networking
09:15 – 09:25
Premier
Chairs Introduction
John Prendergast – Principal Decontamination Engineer – NHS Wales
09:25 – 09:50
Premier
Healthcare Guidance – ‘From what was, to what is, to what can be!’
John Prendergast – Principal Decontamination Engineer – NHS Wales
09:50 – 10:15
Premier
Standards and Standard Bearers
Discussing the role of JAG in the assessment of decontamination services, critical to the quality and safety of endoscopy services.
Dr. Helen Griffiths – Advanced Clinical Endoscopist – Decontamination and VCJD advisor to the BSG and JAG Lead Nurse
10:15 – 10:40
Premier
Impact of Digital Transformation on Healthcare Workforce
Digital transformation is impacting all areas of healthcare delivery, regardless of which part of the service you work. This presentation explores the impact of accelerated digital transformation on the sector and workforce skills and capability requirements.
Dr. Sanna Rimpiläinen – Head of Research and Skills – Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre
10:40 – 11:00
Premier
Questions & Answers
11:00 – 11:30
Manxman
Morning Coffee & Networking
11:30 – 12:00
Premier
AquaTYPHOON™ – Transforming the Dirty Side in Endoscope Reprocessing
Overcoming the challenges to innovating manual decontamination of flexible endoscopes.
Beverley Parmenter – Decontamination, Quality and Resourcing Manager – Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
Soby Joseph – Sterile Services & Decontamination Manager – Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust
Charlotte Bloxham – Regional Manager – Endoscopy Decontamination & Therapeutics (South) – PENTAX Medical
12:00 – 12:30
Premier
No Guidance, No Excuse: Why Validation Matters in UVC Disinfection
This presentation explores the importance of validating UVC high-level disinfection systems in the absence of formal guidance. Drawing on 14 years of experience of PFE Medical validation of the Chronos, AE1 and Chronos Max, we outline a supplier-led approach to robust validation, including microbiological testing. In collaboration with AED John Prendergast, we will also define what good validation looks like in practice and what is required for sign-off for safe patient use
Rebecca Hartley – Sales Director – Partners for Endoscopy
John Prendergast – Principal Decontamination Engineer – NHS Wales
12:30 – 13:00
Premier
From Sterile Processing to a Smart CSSD
Explore the transformation of traditional sterile processing departments into fully digitalized, data-driven Central Sterile Services Departments (CSSD). It demonstrates how smart technologies from NEXUS, combined with automation and real-time data integration, can significantly enhance efficiency, traceability, and patient safety. Attendees will gain practical insights into implementation strategies, key challenges, and the future potential of intelligent CSSD ecosystems in modern healthcare.
Erik Lindner – Business Consultant – Nexus / IPS GmbH
13:00 – 14:15
Manxman
Lunch & Networking
14:15 – 15:05
Premier
Panel Debate with Questions – Automation of Sterile Services – What can be Automated, and do we need to do it?
– Do we need to automate to mitigate workforce shortages?
– Do we already see automation in action? What are the benefits/disadvantages
– Where could advances in automation benefit a sterile services unit?
– What could AI mean in terms of improving standards in Sterile Services?
John Prendergast – Principal Decontamination Engineer – NHS Wales
Rob Warburton – Trust Decontamination Lead – Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust & Director of Communication – Institute of Decontamination Sciences
Dr. Sanna Rimpiläinen – Head of Research and Skills – Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre
15:05 – 15:25
Premier
The Death of Sinks!
In the washrooms where instruments meet their fate, we stand at a crossroads. For too long, manual scrubbing at sinks has been the weary sentinel of decontamination—fraught with risk, burdened by inconsistency, and shadowed by hazards to health and safety. Reports of infection control breaches and ergonomic injuries cry out for change. Meanwhile, automation marches forward, offering precision, protection, and progress. The question before us is stark: shall we cling to the old ways, or shall we seize the promise of technology? Is this not the hour to cast aside the bucket and brush, and to embrace the future with courage and conviction?
Rob Warburton – Trust Decontamination Lead – Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust & Director of Communication – Institute of Decontamination Sciences
15:25 – 15:35
Premier
Questions & Answers
15:35 – 16:05
Manxman
Afternoon Coffee & Networking
16:05 – 17:00
Premier
Panel Debate with Questions – Sterile Services Workforce
This Session will debate, with full audience participation, how we shape and skill the workforce for the future. We will cover areas such as:
– National Standardisation of Job Roles and Pay Bands – What would be the benefit?
– How do we plot a Career Pathway without National Standards?
– What Education standards should we follow and why?
– What skills do we need to keep pace with rapidly evolving technology and who will provide them?
– Can Sterile Services meet the salary needs of a workforce skilled in technology?
John Prendergast – Principal Decontamination Engineer – NHS Wales
Rob Warburton – Trust Decontamination Lead – Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust & Director of Communication – IDSc
Dr. Sanna Rimpiläinen – Head of Research and Skills – Digital Health and Care Innovation Centre
17:00
Close of Conference