NHS Golden Jubilee adopts light-activated infection prevention technology

NHS Golden Jubilee has become the first hospital in Scotland to use Steriwave nasal photodisinfection before surgery, aiming to cut surgical site infections in high-volume joint replacement care. The move could help protect patients, reduce costly revision surgeries and support Scotland’s push to expand elective capacity.

Why it matters: - Surgical site infections can lead to longer recovery times, revision surgery and higher costs for the NHS. - The NHS Golden Jubilee treats about 30% of all hip and knee replacements in Scotland, so infection prevention there affects a large share of elective joint surgery. - UK research cited in the release says a prosthetic joint infection can cost the NHS more than £33,000 per patient over five years. - The hospital’s adoption of a single, nurse-led treatment could replace a slower, multi-day decolonisation process.

What happened: - NHS Golden Jubilee became the first hospital in Scotland to adopt Steriwave nasal photodisinfection. - The hospital is adding the treatment to its pre-surgery infection-prevention pathway for joint replacement patients. - Steriwave is developed by Vancouver-based Ondine Biomedical and distributed in the UK by Mölnlycke Health Care. - The treatment is given by a nurse immediately before surgery and takes about five minutes.

The details: - Steriwave uses a light-sensitive liquid compound and a specific wavelength of red light to generate oxygen-free radicals. - The process is designed to eliminate bacteria, viruses and fungi without antibiotics. - Ondine says the technology works quickly enough that pathogens cannot develop resistance. - The nose is a primary reservoir for the pathogens that can cause post-operative joint infections. - Uncomplicated joint replacements at NHS Golden Jubilee typically involve an average hospital stay of 2.4 days. - Steriwave is already deployed in hospitals across Canada and in England for surgical site infection prevention and ICU infection protection. - Ondine Biomedical says its nasal photodisinfection system is CE-marked in Europe and approved for nasal decolonisation in Canada, Australia, Mexico and several other countries. - In the U.S., the system has Qualified Infectious Disease Product designation and Fast Track status from the FDA and is in clinical trials. - The company also says it is developing photodisinfection therapies for chronic sinusitis, ventilator-associated pneumonia, burns and other uses. - The LinkedIn page for Ondine Biomedical is available here.

Between the lines: - The move fits Scotland’s broader goal of increasing elective surgical capacity and reducing waiting lists. - Putting infection prevention at the point of care may reduce friction compared with home-based preparation kits. - The adoption also signals growing hospital interest in non-antibiotic tools as drug resistance remains a concern.

What's next: - NHS Golden Jubilee will integrate Steriwave into its surgical workflow for eligible patients. - The hospital and its partners will likely watch whether the approach lowers infection rates and supports throughput in high-volume orthopaedics. - Broader use in Scotland could follow if the workflow proves efficient and effective in practice.