I have been involved in the Isopharm online training platform since early 2021. I particularly enjoy assisting with creating content which as well as providing factual technical information, also gives me the opportunity to relate and pass on advice and tips based on real life experiences gained over a number of years.
Having a platform such as this, is a huge help to SSD staff and Managers alike. The online platform allows for staff to access the training content at times that suit them, and the construction of the content, which focuses on -bite size- pieces of relevant information allows for staff to focus on the key points of a task and not become overwhelmed by too much information.
I am excited by the plans that Isopharm have to support career development in Decontamination, and I hope to be involved in developing courses appropriate for Supervisors and other grades.
Mark has over 40 years experience in Decontamination and began his career as a CSSD Assistant at the Northern General Hospital Sheffield in 1980. He has worked for a number of NHS Trusts and also the Private Sector in decontamination.
In 1996 Mark was appointed Sterile Service Manager for the Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust and successfully managed the merger for three hospitals to a single facility. The Sterile Services Department in Edinburgh became the first in Scotland to be accredited to the then BS5750 Quality system, and Mark became the Quality Lead for City Hospital. Whilst working in Edinburgh, Mark became part of the Scottish National Decontamination Audit team led by David Hurrell.
Mark was appointed Pan Glasgow Head of Decontamination with responsibility for the six sterile service departments in the city, and for the planning, and commissioning of the Cowlairs Central Decontamination unit. The unit won awards for innovation and was the world-s largest Decontamination unit at that time.
After gaining commercial experience in the Private Sector, Mark returned to the NHS as Trust Decontamination Lead for a joint collaboration of the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust and University Hospitals Plymouth, and he is now the substantive Decontamination Lead to Plymouth hospitals. He has implemented a qualification and competence focussed re-structuring initiative with the emphasis on staff retention, career development, research, and succession management. Mark has developed a Trust Wide Decontamination approach to support staff in non-centralised locations who may be required to decontaminate medical devices in non-centralised locations.
Mark has also formed a Technical forum/workshop which meets quarterly in order to identify and share best decontamination practice across the South West Peninsula. Mark is a Chartered member of the IDSc and a member of the Central Sterilising Club. He has presented at many National and International Decontamination conferences.