When every instrument record matters, efficiency and accuracy aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re essential.

Few people understand this better than Abdul Youssef, Hampshire Hospital Decontamination Lead, whose career has been dedicated to ensuring the highest standards of safety and reliability in decontamination.

After studying Business at the University of Cairo, Abdul began his NHS career in 2008 as a Facilities Supervisor. In 2011, he moved into the Endoscopy Decontamination department – a shift that would shape his career and expertise.

Today, Abdul leads decontamination across three hospital sites within the Trust, managing staff, equipment, infection control, and policy. With more than a decade of experience behind him, he has a deep understanding of both the pressures of manual, paper-based systems and the impact that digital traceability with Athera FingerPrint brings to patient safety, staff confidence, and operational efficiency.

Results at a glance

The Challenge: 

Decontamination is one of the most data-intensive departments in any hospital. Every detail matters – from the cleaning solution used, to the washer or hook ID, to which nurse and doctor were present. Each step must be recorded with precision, across every part of the instrument’s journey.  

And doing that manually? It’s a monumentous feat. 

Between 2011 and 2018, staff at Hampshire hospitals relied on paper-based manual tracking and a competitor software, meaning all data had to be compiled at the day’s end when all information could finally be accounted for – a process that could take 2 hours daily. 

And whilst decon staff managed, this meant they often had no time outside of data-collection, even working through breaks to get the job done. During busier or understaffed periods, errors became more likely, anxiety rose, and patient safety felt compromised. 

The team realised they needed a more reliable, automated solution to save time, reduce mistakes, and lift confidence, prompting a search for a better traceability solution than what they had. 

In 2018, after hearing about positive outcomes at their Winchester site, Basingstoke hospital introduced FingerPrint, making it the Trust’s proven instrument traceability solution, covering all 3 sites. 

The Solution: Making Data Readily Available 

For busy SSD departments, time is everything  – and FingerPrint helped give back valuable hours to staff: 

Before, if we had a busy day or staff sickness, I would panic because the paperwork still had to be done. Now the staff can manage without working through breaks.

With Athera FingerPrint, the Trust replaced manual workload with a system designed to alleviate that pressure.  

The Athera FingerPrint Impact 

Time-Savings & Error Reduction 

50% reduction in recording/tracking time 

Recording and tracking now takes half the time it used to. Staff can use that time for something more valuable than paperwork.” says Abdul. “Before, we were doing AM and PM lists in the Endoscopy room for at least an hour to record all patient/instrument data. Now, we’re using the time saved to do something completely different! 

Which means Abdul’s team have a 30% faster turnaround time, as data is now logged in real-time, with a simple scan of a barcode.  

Abdul’s team have been exceptional adopters of FingerPrint. Their enthusiasm and commitment to making the system work for them has not only delivered outstanding results, but also set a benchmark for how digital transformation should be embraced in decontamination. states Wayne Davy, Athera Healthcare Customer Success Manager.  

Audit Efficiency + Seamless Governance 

Before FingerPrint, audits were a time-consuming process. Compiling scope data, repairs, and usage history could take a week, sometimes even a month, with staff poring over paperwork and cross-checking patient lists. It was draining, stressful, and always at risk of error.  

Now, the story is completely different. With FingerPrint, audits are instant and automatic,  staff simply enter a scope’s serial number, and a complete record appears: who used it, which nurse and doctor were present, whether repairs were needed, how many patients were treated, and anything they else needed for their reports.  

Months of work vanish in seconds, while governance practices are strengthened, compliance is easier to evidence, and assurance for both regulators and the Trust is significantly improved. 

What once consumed weeks of effort now takes seconds, leading to a 25% reduction in audit workload across the year. Abdul explained:  

Audits used to take a week, sometimes a month. Now it’s instant. I just need the serial number, and everything is there. It’s a huge weight lifted.  

Every year, we have about 12 patient-scope audits, and every month we follow one scope across its entire lifecycle: how many patients did this scope help, did it breakdown? Why did it breakdown? Who washed it and when? Which nurse and doctor were in the room at such and such time. Before, it was all research and paper. Now, it’s automatic and readily available.

It’s allowed the department to contribute more actively to strategic meetings and patient safety planning, instead of being buried under paperwork.

FingerPrint is a strategic decision-maker’s tool, not just a traceability software.  

Staff Confidence & Patient Safety 

For the Basingstoke team, patient safety has always been the top priority. Yet under the old system, even the smallest incident could become a crisis. 

Before, if there was a situation with a patient, we could spend hours and hours looking for the records,” Abdul recalled. “It was stressful, and you always worried something might be missed.

With FingerPrint, those days are gone. Every detail is available instantly, from scope history to staff records, giving the team complete confidence that nothing slips through the cracks. 

Now it’s completely different! We can find everything straight away. I believe there is no error now.

This shift has transformed the team’s mindset. Instead of fearing mistakes or getting bogged down in searches, staff can focus on what matters most: delivering safe, reliable patient care with total confidence in the integrity of their records.  

Service Contract Management 

FingerPrint has also helped unlock data on equipment usage, repairs, and lifespan. 

With this information, the department can now plan service contracts strategically, anticipate replacements with precision, and control costs in a way that wasn’t possible before.  

Before, we had to rely on the service companies to tell us when a scope needed attention. Now we have the data ourselves. We can see the whole picture, challenge what doesn’t look right, and plan ahead.

This independence from supplier-reported data has created a new level of confidence and control. Instead of reacting to problems or waiting for external updates, the Trust now makes decisions based on its own accurate records, ensuring resources are spent using evidence and equipment is used to its full potential. 

What the Team Values Most 

For the Basingstoke team, the true value of FingerPrint lies in the combination of benefits it delivers every day. By freeing up significant time for patient-focused tasks, eliminating errors and the anxiety that once came with them, and boosting staff confidence, the system has transformed both operations and morale.  

Audits are now clear and effortless, while rich data empowers the department with greater autonomy, enabling proactive decisions on repairs, service contracts, and future-proofed planning. 

Most importantly, the team feels reassured that every process directly supports the highest standard of patient safety. 

“I enjoy it all… but patient safety is what matters most.”