Department of Health Funded Research on Decontamination of Surgical Instruments

In 2001, the Department of Health and the UK TSE Joint Funders identified the need to commission research on: diagnostics to detect and distinguish between all forms of CJD; look at the spread of disease through routes that have a theoretical risk of secondary transmission (e.g. blood, tissue, organ transplants, and surgical instruments); and examine and develop technologies capable of decontaminating surgical instruments with emphasis on protein deactivation and prion removal. A number of projects were commissioned and contractors were formed into the Working Group for Research into the Decontamination of Surgical Instruments (DECON), with Professor Don Jeffries as Chair The DECON group have met biannually since 2001. This has ensured productive interchange between contractors and allowed the DH to remain well informed on progress towards goals. The report ‘Department of Health Funded Research on the Decontamination of Surgical Instruments: Current Progress and Future Needs’ summarised the research of the DECON group up to 2005. Three years on, the report has been updated to include much of the research presented at the twice yearly DECON meetings, published papers, final reports and answers from questionnaires sent to the contractors.The 2008 report will provide information for the Department of Health with the aim of progressing these results from the research field into practical application within an NHS setting.