2026 Conference.
iM Risk Aware. Decontamination Excellence to Protect Patient & Practitioner.
Join us in Bristol for the 8th Annual iM Academy Decontamination Excellence Conference.
iM Risk Aware. Decontamination Excellence to Protect Patient & Practitioner.
Date: Wednesday 7th October 2026
Location: Ashton Gate Football Stadium, Bristol
Conference Overview
The 2026 Conference builds on seven years of established excellence, evolving the conversation beyond patient safety to address the full spectrum of risk within decontamination services. While 2025 centred on the patient, this year’s theme — “Aware” — expands the lens to include risks to the patient, the practitioner, and the organisation.
This shift reflects a changing landscape. Occupational and legal risks faced by decontamination professionals remain under-discussed, yet regulatory scrutiny and accountability are increasing. This event creates space for honest, practical conversations about these realities — not reassurance, but clarity. Delegates will leave with a deeper understanding of the risks they face and the confidence to respond with informed, practical action.
Why You Should Attend
This is not a typical conference. It is a focused, independent, clinically-led event that addresses the realities of modern decontamination practice.
Attendees should book to:
- Understand emerging risks across patient safety, workforce wellbeing, and organisational accountability
- Navigate tightening regulatory and legal expectations with practical, real-world guidance
- Hear diverse, expert perspectives spanning clinical, operational, and legal viewpoints
- Engage in honest discussion about challenges the sector often avoids
- Strengthen leadership confidence in managing risk across complex decontamination environments
Who the Conference is For
This conference is designed for leaders, managers and practitioners who are committed to improving standards in their departments or areas of responsibility, in decontamination and infection control across:
- Endoscopy
- Sterile Services / CSSD
- NHS and private healthcare organisations
Attendance is free for professionals delivering decontamination services across both NHS and private healthcare, ensuring accessibility to those directly responsible for patient safety and service delivery.
The Presentations and Expert Speakers
Keynote Address:
Human Factors & Risk: Why Good People Work in Dangerous Ways
Dr Mat Moyo
Systems, Human Factors & Leadership Consultant.
One of the UK's leading voices on human factors, Mat works with healthcare organisations to improve safety by understanding how systems, leadership and organisational culture influence everyday practice.
Rather than asking who made the mistake, Mat explores the much more important question...
Why did the system allow it to happen?
Conference Chair
Helen Griffith
Former Decontamination Lead, British Society of Gastroenterology
Helen will open the conference by setting the scene around risk and introducing the themes that connect every presentation throughout the day.
From human factors and governance to competency and leadership, Helen's introduction provides the perfect foundation for a day focused on improving patient safety and protecting practitioners.
Be Your Own AED — Owning Standards All Year Round, Not Just Audit Day
John Prendergast MIHEEM MIDSc (Chtd) AE(D)
Principal Decontamination Engineer, NHS Wales Shared Services Partnership – Specialist Estates Services
Audits shouldn't be the only time standards receive attention.
John shares practical insight into embedding governance, ownership and continual improvement into everyday decontamination practice—creating confidence all year round.
The Competency Illusion — Signed-Off Doesn't Mean Safe
Lisa Roffey
Midlands Endoscopy Training Academy
The Competency Illusion — Signed-Off Doesn't Mean Safe
Completing training is one thing. Developing genuine competence is something entirely different.
Lisa explores why competency is about much more than signing paperwork, and why building confidence, judgement and experience is essential to protecting both patients and practitioners.
Both Sides of the Fence: The Balance of Risk, from Head of Estates to AED
Jim Tinsdeall
The man who spent years as an NHS Head of Estates being scrutinised, and now delivers that scrutiny as an AED.
Zoë Fayers-Rust
Director of Science & Quality Assurance,
iM Med SteelcoBelimed
Forget PowerPoint.
This live podcast brings together two highly respected industry experts for an honest, unscripted conversation exploring risk from different professional perspectives.
Expect practical discussion, audience engagement and plenty of real-world experience.
Training Isn't Telling — Why Most Decontamination Training Fails
Dan Sullivan
All Things Decontamination
Why do some training programmes create lasting change while others are quickly forgotten?
Dan explores the science behind effective learning and why meaningful competency depends on far more than simply delivering information.
Human Factors in Practice: An Interactive Session
Dr Mat Moyo
Systems, Human Factors & Leadership Consultant.
An interactive workshop where delegates can apply the ideas introduced during the keynote to real-world scenarios.
Practical.
Engaging.
Thought-provoking.
Book your Place
Contact Us
Meeting the Challenges of Decontamination
The iM Academy Excellence in Decontamination Conferences are for individuals involved in the delivery of medical device decontamination, focusing on leadership, education and robust processes to deliver excellence for the provision of patient safety.
The physical and virtual events consist of a range of presentations around the importance of leadership, putting the patient first, and excellence in decontamination to ensure consistent practice standards and safe practice.
Places are FREE to those working in NHS or private hospitals delivering decontamination services.
