Work underway to improve CDU resilience

NHS Grampian is making progress with work to put its Foresterhill central decontamination unit on a more resilient footing. 

Three new machine washers have been ordered for the facility, currently shutdown after an unknown substance was found on surgical instruments after processing. These will be installed in November, with validation and water testing required to follow.   

Work is also underway to improve the supply of compressed air to the unit. Compressed air is used to operate the pneumatic controls on some of the existing equipment. 

Gavin Payne, general manager of NHS Grampian facilities and estates said: “Installing new machines and upgrading the supply of compressed air into the CDU is designed to make the unit more robust in the long term and reduce the risk of incidents such as this.  

“In addition, we are taking the opportunity to replace some parts of the ventilation system and bring a purified water plant into service. These works are not connected to the substance found on instruments; however, they are vital to increasing the resilience of the unit and had been in the planning for some time. They require a shutdown of the unit; therefore, we are taking the opportunity this unplanned shutdown provides to carry them out.” 

With the facility out of use, NHS Grampian continues to operate about two thirds of normal theatre capacity, prioritising emergency and urgent surgery. While this has led to postponements of elective procedures, the rate of postponement is slowing, and the board is hopeful services can begin the process of rescheduling these in the coming weeks. Specialties such as podiatry, sexual health and primary care are using single-use items where possible, and clinicians who can’t be in the operating theatre are increasing other activities including the number of outpatient clinics they can run instead. 

Acute nurse director June Barnard said: “I want to apologise unreservedly to anyone who has been affected by postponed surgeries. The decision to postpone is never taken lightly and it is done with patient safety at its heart. 

“I also want to pay tribute to staff across the organisation, who have worked incredibly hard to manage this situation. It has had an impact on countless teams and as an organisation we are so grateful to everyone involved.” 

NHS Grampian continues to receive vital support from NHS Orkney, NHS Highland, and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to process surgical instruments in addition to extended running of the decontamination facility at Woodend Hospital.