Conference Agenda
Day 1 – Tuesday 28th April 2026
07:45 – 09:00
Exhibition Halls
Registration, Coffee & Networking
09:00 – 09:15
Imperial
Chairs Introduction
Rose Gallagher – Professional Lead Sustainability – Royal College of Nursing [Confirmed]
09:15 – 10:05
Imperial
Health Equity and Prevention: Learning from the COVID-19 Inquiry
Reflecting on the third report: systemic IPC gaps and future design
Rose Gallagher – Professional Lead Sustainability – Royal College of Nursing [Confirmed]
10:05 – 10:40
Imperial
Sustainable IV Antibiotic Delivery – Every Drop Counts
The aim of this session is to share knowledge and raise awareness about IV antibiotic under-delivery, an often-overlooked issue that occurs when residual volume remains trapped in the line of the administration set after the IV antibiotic bag empties. This can result in an under-delivery of between 20% (50ml bag) and 40% (100ml bag), potentially compromising therapeutic efficacy. The session will explore how and why this issue arises, review relevant guidelines on IV administration set line flushing, and highlight its significance within antimicrobial stewardship practices. This session will feature a critical appraisal of the current evidence along with a case study highlighting the benefits of introducing administration set line flushing, including reductions in single-use plastic, IV antibiotic prescribing and length of stay.
Claire Davies – Clinical Therapy Manager (RN) – B. Braun Medical [Confirmed]
Phil Hazeldine – Clinical Therapy Manager (RN) – B. Braun Medical [Confirmed]
Dr. Emma Baldock – Consultant Microbiologist – Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust [Confirmed]
Ruth Dando – Head of Nursing Theatres – Critical Care and Anaesthetics – Barking Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust [Confirmed]
10:40 – 10:55
Imperial
Questions & Answers
10:55 – 11:30
Exhibition Halls
Morning Coffee & Networking
11:30 – 12:00
Imperial
Workshop 1: UTI Prevention
11:30 – 12:00
Ballacraine
Workshop 2: Fungal Infection Treatment
11:30 – 12:00
Bracebridge
Workshop 3: SSI Prevention
12:00 – 12:05
Transition
12:05 – 12:35
Imperial
Workshop 4: Diagnostic Innovation
12:05 – 12:35
Ballacraine
Workshop 5: Venous Catheter Best Practice
12:05 – 12:35
Bracebridge
Workshop 6: Managing E.Coli Outbreaks
12:35 – 13:45
Exhibition Halls
Afternoon Lunch & Networking
13:45 – 14:15
Imperial
Workshop 7: Infection Surveillance in Critical Care
This workshop will present the importance of infection surveillance in critical care. There will be a focus on the Infection in Critical Care Quality Improvement Programme (ICCQIP) that performs surveillance of bloodstream infections. Presentation will include current surveillance and future directions.
Dr. Tom Hellyer – Clinical Senior Lecturer – Honorary Consultant – Critical Care Medicine – Newcastle University [Confirmed]
13:45 – 14:15
Ballacraine
Workshop 8: High Consequence Infectious Diseases
High Consequence Infectious Diseases PPE the myths, the do’s and the don’t forget the basics
Marie-Claire Hoyle – High Consequence Infectious Diseases Networks Coordinator – NHS England – Highly Specialised Services [Confirmed]
13:45 – 14:15
Bracebridge
Workshop 9: HCID – Patient Care on an International Level
Maj Murphy – Senior Nursing Officer – 16 Medical Regimen [Confirmed]
14:15 – 14:25
Transition
14:25 – 14:50
Imperial
The Scientific and System-Level Challenges Needed to Improve Infection Outcomes
Drawing on the AMR National Action Plan (2024-29), I will address the challenges, and potential solutions to improve infection management. The solutions will include both system / policy level changes and scientific interventions.
Prof. Mark Wilcox – National Clinical Director for Infection Prevention and Control & AMR Diagnostics – NHS England [Confirmed]
14:50 – 15:20
Imperial
Antifungal Resistant Fungi in a One-Health Context: Global Challenges and Perspectives
Fungal infections now cause more attributable deaths that those due HIV, TB and malaria combined, and cause suffering and major health care costs associated with recurrent or chronic morbidity. This global health burden is exacerbated by the rise of drug resistance across common clinically relevant fungal species and the emergence of several new drug resistance species that were unknown as clinical pathogens until recently. This presentation will provide a one-health analysis of the rise of Candida auris, drug resistant dermatophyte species and other fungi, and the possible contribution of climate change and changing socio-economic factors to the evolution of these new health threats.
Prof. Neil Gow – Professor – MRC Centre for Medical Mycology – University of Exeter [Confirmed]
15:20 – 15:25
Imperial
Questions & Answers
15:25 – 16:00
Exhibition Halls
Afternoon Coffee & Networking
16:00 – 16:25
Imperial
Pee-in-Pot (PiP) – A sustainable Alternative for Midstream Urine (MSU) Collection to Other Methods
The Pee-in-Pot (PiP) is an innovative alternative to traditional sterile plastic vessels for midstream urine (MSU) collection, designed to improve compliance, improve workflow efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Developed by Somerset NHS Foundation Trust in collaboration with Polyco and supported by NHS Supply Chain, PiP uses Thermofibre technology—a blend of bamboo fibre and sugarcane pulp—to deliver microbiological safety equivalent to single-use plastics without compromising diagnostic accuracy.
Tracey Doolan – Infection prevention and Control Nurse- Somerset NHS Foundation Trust [Confirmed]
Nick Burns-Cox – Consultant Surgeon – Somerset NHS Foundation Trust [Confirmed]
16:25 – 16:50
Imperial
Sustainability Across Diverse Healthcare Settings
David Renard – Sustainable Medical Practices Advisor – Médecins Sans Frontières – Doctors Without Borders [Confirmed]
16:50 – 17:00
Imperial
Questions & Answers
17:00
Close of Day 1
Day 2 – Wednesday 29th April 2026
07:45 – 09:00
Exhibition Halls
Registration, Coffee & Networking
09:00 – 09:05
Imperial
Chairs Introduction
Rose Gallagher – Professional Lead Sustainability – Royal College of Nursing [Confirmed]
09:05 – 09:30
Imperial
Point of Care CRP Testing in Primary Care
Dr. Charlotte Jones – Primary Care Clinical Lead for IPC, Reducing HCAI and Antimicrobial Stewardship – Uplands Surgery [Confirmed]
09:30 – 09:55
Imperial
Civic Data and AI for Health Protection
Professor Buchan will explore how linked data and AI can be harnessed by civic health systems to improve health protection. He will give examples from Liverpool’s responses to the Covid-19 pandemic in mobilising data to deliver rapid responses including the world’s first city-scale, voluntary, asymptomatic mass testing with lateral flow devices. He will also give examples of opportunities to scale up systematic, data-driven approaches to antimicrobial stewardship as a network of civic, learning health systems. Professor Buchan will also explore how AI advances such as voice-based, conversational agent interaction with the NHS can be harnessed for health protection, whilst the same systems are funded primarily for advances in preventive and community-based care. These advances require public trust in data-sharing and AI – he will show how the Liverpool City Region Civic Data Cooperative, and Community Charter on Data and AI, see residents inviting progressive data uses for health protection.
Prof. Iain Buchan – W.H. Duncan Professor of Public Health Systems, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Innovation – University of Liverpool [Confirmed]
09:55 – 10:20
Imperial
Water Lite Care in NNU a Journey to Reducing HCAIs
Dr. Kavita Sethi – Consultant Microbiologist – Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust [Confirmed]
10:20 – 10:45
Imperial
Industry Insight
10:45 – 10:55
Imperial
Questions & Answers
10:55 – 11:30
Exhibition Halls
Morning Coffee & Networking
11:30 – 12:00
Imperial
Workshop 1: Biofilm Eradication
11:30 – 12:00
Ballacraine
Workshop 2: Ensuring Antimicrobial Efficacy
11:30 – 12:00
Bracebridge
Workshop 3: Eradicating Waterborne Infections
12:00 – 12:05
Transition
12:05 – 12:35
Imperial
Workshop 4: Airborne Pathogens
12:05 – 12:35
Ballacraine
Workshop 5: Cutting Waste, Not Safety: Driving Sustainable IPC Through the Gloves Off Campaign
This session explores practical ways to create opportunities for sustainability in IPC by examining how initiatives such as the Gloves Off campaign can reduce environmental impact, identifying both the opportunities and challenges involved in supporting greener healthcare, and sharing lessons learned from implementing sustainable change within a busy NHS Trust.
Ashley Flores – Director of Infection Prevention & Control – King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust [Confirmed]
12:05 – 12:35
Bracebridge
Workshop 6: Continuous Disinfection or Continuous Compromise? Solving the Occupied-Space Challenge
12:35 – 13:45
Exhibition Halls
Afternoon Lunch & Networking
13:45 – 14:10
Imperial
The Role of Ventilation in Reducing Infection Transmission in Healthcare Environments
This will be an update on the indications and value of ventilation systems in healthcare, following what we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hilary Humphreys – Emeritus Professor of Clinical Microbiology & Senior Clinical Educator – Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland [Confirmed]
14:10 – 14:35
Imperial
Unravelling the Mess that is Mask Efficacy Research: An Introduction to Mechanism-Informed Evidence Synthesis
The question of whether masks work to reduce transmission of respiratory infections, and whether respirators work better than ordinary masks, is mired in controversy. This is because much published research (including many systematic reviews) overlooked the mechanistic science which should underpin the design and testing of interventions. This lecture will report new interdisciplinary work funded by the UKRI to show how a mechanism-informed approach to systematic review allows a more nuanced interpretation of the evidence. Masks work if worn, and respirators work better than masks, but many studies had fatal design flaws which biased the observed effect toward the null.
Prof. Trish Greenhalgh – Professor of Primary Care Health Sciences – University of Oxford [Confirmed]
14:35 – 14:45
Imperial
Questions & Answers
14:45 – 15:15
Exhibition Halls
Afternoon Coffee & Networking
15:15 – 15:40
Imperial
IPC – Small Differences, Big Changes
Jennifer Collins – Lecturer – School of Health & life Sciences – University of the West of Scotland [Confirmed]
15:40 – 16:10
Imperial
IPC QI Project
Susan Bowler – Antimicrobial Stewardship Team – Infection – Nottingham University NHS Trust [Confirmed]
16:10 – 16:20
Imperial
Questions & Answers
16:20
Close of Day 2