As part of its ongoing commitment to the health of the population of Somerset, Care UK has invested around £300,000 in an upgrade of the Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) at Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre.

The CSSD is used to effectively decontaminate equipment used at the hospital. It is accredited by the British Standards Institute which not only guarantees the quality of the service, but also allows Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre to explore opportunities to offer the service in the future to other hospitals, clinics, dentists – even beauticians and tattoo parlours, anywhere which uses equipment which needs to be decontaminated after each use.

Since Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre opened in 2005 its CSSD has processed almost six million surgical instruments.

The new upgrade, courtesy of leading provider of infection prevention technology STERIS, allows for faster processing and up to three times as many instruments decontaminated per hour.

The system is also greener – over a six-month period it is estimated that it will save more than 240,000 litres of water with associated financial savings.

Jim Rawles, CSSD manager at Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre, said: "Our new system allows us to do more at greater efficiency.

"Combined with our BSI accreditation, it also means that we have the opportunity to offer the service to other organisations in the area in the future.

"Given the current situation regarding the Covid-19 pandemic this is a useful facility which in time could help a wide range of organisations to effectively decontaminate their equipment and so keep more people in Somerset safe."

Andrew Oakerbee, hospital director at Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre, said: "This is the latest in a long line of investment made by Care UK at this hospital, and it stands testament to the commitment we willingly make to ensure that patients in Somerset and beyond get the best care possible – our patients sit at the heart of everything we do."

Martin Carr, commercial director for STERIS, said: "We are delighted to have been chosen to work with the Care UK team at Shepton Mallet, supporting the vital and safe delivery of patient surgical care through the installation of industry leading sterilisation equipment."

The investment at Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre is mirrored at two other Care UK hospitals in Southampton and Kent, resulting in a total investment of around £1 million.

Shepton Mallet NHS Treatment Centre is the first hospital of its kind to be rated as Outstanding across the board by the Care Quality Commission.

The national Patient Reported Outcome Measures reported by the Health and Social Care Information Centre identified the hospital as top in the country for hip replacements, and in the top five per cent for knee replacements.