A SCIENTIST from Nottingham has come up with a method of killing 'superbugs' in hospitals which could save 30,000 lives a year and £1 billion in taxpayers' money.
Dr Tim Boswell has conducted the country's first ever study which has proven that concentrated ultra-violet light kills 99.9 per cent of all pathogens including MRSA and Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE).
He will be presenting his findings at a special seminar at the East Midlands Conference Centre on Wednesday April 24 having just completed trialling new technology at Nottingham City Hospital.
He has fitted a new device, called Tru-D, into operating theatres and intensive care units within the City Hospital in November last year.
He said: "There is undeniable evidence that the healthcare environment can be a source for the acquisition of infections, which the cleaning of surfaces alone simply cannot tackle effectively.
"Our study further strengthens the premise that a simple to use, preventative system such as Tru-D that inactivates pathogens is an invaluable asset to a hospital's infection control strategies.
"We have not only proven that the technology works in experimental conditions but that it can be easily and comfortably adopted by a busy, real-world clinical environment and is an interesting alternative for terminal decontamination of an environment."
His findings are significant and could have far-reaching effects as the majority of hospitals in Britain currently use time-consuming methods that can only used in a reactive manner - as in after an infection is identified.
The automated Tru-D mobile device only uses concentrated UV light and no chemicals. It also has a considerably shorter treatment time which saves resources for the stretched NHS.
Bill Passmore, director of operations at rapid disinfection services, whose team is launching Tru-D in the UK, said: "We are delighted to be hosting a seminar which will give people the opportunity to learn about the cutting-edge advances in chemical-free technology.
"Infection prevention is a huge challenge to the NHS so we are expecting keen interest in our technology from experts all over the country."
Pathogens such as C.Diff, MRSA and VRE are a major challenge to the NHS and private sector. Known as 'healthcare acquired infections' they cost the NHS approximately £1 billion per year, cause approximately 30,000 deaths a year.
Places for the seminar, which starts at 5.30pm, are strictly limited to confirm your attendance, please contact Mick via mthorburn@caciquepr.com or call 020 7250 4750.
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