The organization of central sterile supply departments.

The last few years have witnessed an increasing interest in organizing sterilization. Every new hospital now being planned in the British Isles includes provision for a central sterile supply department and many existing hospitals are also planning such departments. Several of these are likely to be opened within the next year or two. At the present rates of progress there will be few hospitals without central sterile supply departments by 1970. All this cannot be done without a great deal of work. Invariably it has been the hospital pathologist who has taken the initiative in the planning, organizing, and running of these departments. It is appropriate therefore that space should be devoted to this subject in the Journal of Clinical Pathology. Several articles have recently appeared dealing with the organization of central sterile supply departments. An excellent article by V. D. Allison appears in the British Medical Journal of 10 September 1960, and gives an account of the pioneer work which has been done at Mus-grave Park, Belfast. It is hoped that the article that follows will be complementary to that of Dr. Allison. For those more closely concerned with the design of central sterile supply departments reference may be made to the article appearing in the Architectural Jouirnal of 7 July 1960. AMERICAN PRACTICE The original idea of concentrating the arrangements for sterilization in one department arose in the U.S.A., and, before considering British practice, it may be of value to take a quick glance at American methods. But this must be done against the background of American hospitals. These are in competition with each other for those patients who can afford to pay the high fees charged. American hospitals, therefore, are lavish and it is usual to provide the staff with anything that they may require for a particular procedure. But all this equipment is seldom used and appreciable waste results. Again, as the costs can be passed on to the patients, there is little incentive to achieve economy by organizing a proper work flow. In the U.S.A. it does not seem to be realized that a central sterile supply department should be run more like an efficient factory than like a hospital department. It is certain that under the conditions of a National Health Service central sterile supply departments must be able to practice and demonstrate more efficient methods than are common across the Atlantic. Before considering …