Women In Science Week (February 2026)

Healthcare Scientists Tucked Away

Tucked away at the end of the corridor on level 2 there is a little department with a big responsibility. You may or may not have heard of Decontamination Services (AKA Sterile Services or CSSD) but this little know department plays a big role in keeping services running throughout the hospital and the wider community.

Sterile Services Technicians are part of healthcare science because they help keep patients safe by making sure all medical instruments are properly cleaned and sterilised. They use scientific knowledge, like understanding how germs spread and how to remove them, to prepare equipment for operations and treatments. By checking, cleaning, and testing the tools doctors and nurses use, they help prevent infections and make sure everything meets strict safety standards. Their work is an important part of keeping hospitals safe and effective.

With over 500 years combined experience this team of 35 Technicians and Supervisors work hard to ensure a high-quality instrument reprocessing service, from collection to re delivery. Historically the department has been a predominantly female work place, however this has changed in recent years as we have seen more men applying for vacancies and joining the department.

Our longest standing team member started her Decon journey straight after leaving school as part of the YTS program. She has worked through lots of changes within the industry, seeing the disinfection process move from basic machines to fully automated washer disenfectors. She has seen how attitudes to decontamination and sterilisation have changed over the years and regulations have become stricter and more concise. This is a direct result of the ever-increasing knowledge around the chemistry and biology of disinfection and sterilisation, and fast-moving technical innovation with in the industry.

The team is now contributing to passing on their knowledge and years of experience to the next generation of Decontamination technicians. At the start of 2023 the department decided that all future intakes would be enrolled onto the Level 2 Health Care Science Award through the apprenticeship program.

This ensures that practical learning is underpinned with the technical knowledge needed to be a competent technician. Teaching the skills need to perform daily tasks such as –

• Checking instruments have been correctly returned to the department and loading them into automated washers
• Logging all equipment into our track and trace system to provide full traceability and adhere to correct standards
• Quality checking and re packing instruments ready for steam or chemical sterilisation
• Checking machine parameters to ensure sterile loads have passed and can be released for use.
• Reprocessing flexible Endoscopes

This approach to training is future proofing the Decontamination role, so far, we have had 2 candidates successfully complete their apprenticeships and currently have 2 nearing end point assessment, with 2 new starters ready to enrol. In addition to this we also have 2 Supervisors challenging themselves to complete a level 3 Diploma. This is in addition to other training programs completed in house.

Over all the future of Decontamination services looks bright. From the humble beginnings of nurses using boiled water to clean instruments to a career that utilizes mechanics, chemistry and biology to ensure patient safety – Decontamination is the place to be!