Decontamination of surgical instruments

We welcome this report, which highlights the importance of effective sterile service departments in providing safe care and treatment to patients.

We welcome the opportunity to consider what role we can play in providing oversight of the assurance that healthcare providers have of the safety of their sterile services – be those supplied in house or externally.

We are currently developing a new regulatory model, underpinned by a new Single Assessment Framework, in order to adapt to changes in health and care. We’re committed to exploring how this recommendation could be incorporated to support improvements in safety for patients.

There are clear links with the recommendations made to the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England, which should lead to a more consistent approach and an agreement as to the most appropriate framework and standards that providers need to meet. We are pleased to have started to map out how we can work with our colleagues across the three organisations to progress this.

Actions planned to deliver the safety recommendation:

1. To consider, in developing the evidence requirements for NHS Trusts, whether evidence about assurance of sterile services can be included in the trust level well led assessment. This action is complete.
2. Work with colleagues in DHSC and NHSE to determine what progress can be made on developing a single framework and / or standards against which a healthcare provider can assure themselves of the quality and safety of their sterile services, by March 2023. Resources in place: Agreement to attend working groups in Autumn 2022. Ongoing involvement in a reviewer capacity through to March 2023.
3. Ensure that any outputs from this work are included in supporting guidance in the new Single Assessment Framework, by post March 2023. Resources in place: Existing policy team resources.

Response received on 1 August 2022.