After 17 years working in NHS decontamination services, including leading a unit through ISO 13485 accreditation, Wayne brings something rare to his new role and team at Athera: firsthand experience of the exact pressures, constraints and complexities you face every day. 

We sat down with Wayne to talk about his background, his biggest lessons from the NHS, and how he plans to support you at every step of your journey with FingerPrint: 

Wayne’s Background in Decon

You’ve worked on the front lines of hospital operations in decontamination. How does that experience shape the way you now plan to support healthcare teams? 

“Having used traceability software for over 10 years, I have seen numerous variations. My aim is to ensure that healthcare teams are actually getting the most out of the products they use. Not only do I want to be the voice of our customers, I’m proof from someone who’s lived the problem, not just sold the solution. I have a direct insight into their pain points and challenges, meaning I’m positioned perfectly to drive change with my team.” 

What were your biggest challenges during your time working in decon? 

“As with most decontamination units, getting other departments onboard with the whole decontamination process was a challenge, and it was even a challenge getting everyone onboard when I introduced tracking.” 

“But my biggest challenge and proudest achievement was achieving ISO 13485 accreditation whilst doing all my other duties as a decontamination manager. It took 18 months of hard work, long days, many sleepless nights and a very steep learning curve to achieve ISO 13485. From that experience, I learnt that achieving and maintaining ISO 13485 is not easy, and so I deeply understand just how much work goes into quality decontamination.”

What inspired your move from clinical into a customer success role at Athera? 

“The switch from NHS to Athera Healthcare was a decision that wasn’t taken lightly; having spent 17 years working my way up the career ladder within the same service, I felt it was time for a change. I learnt that Athera are going to make waves in terms of progressing surgical excellence, and I knew I needed to be a part of it.” 

What do you wish that more traceability companies understood about working on the ground? 

“I think most traceability companies have the right ethos and focus on patient safety. During my 17 years, I trialed many new initiatives and different equipment and often one point of feedback I provided was practicality- not every site is the same, each site has different ways of working, so there needs to be flexibility. Involving end users at the early stages of development is, in my opinion, a must for any healthtech company, and it’s exactly what Athera are doing.” 

From your perspective, what makes us stand out in the surgical inventory and traceability space? 

“Athera has always been supportive at every stage of the customer lifecycle, because they really understand the nuances that come along with running a healthcare facility. When new guidelines or tech are introduced, they’re very quick to help with any issues, making me feel like they want to work with me, not against me. I think that’s because they have a culture of wanting to progress the industry and innovate, so they’re always striving to improve and grow.” 

Wayne’s Vision for the Role 

How did you benefit from FingerPrint? 

“Providing traceability not only enhanced our patient’s safety, it also allowed us to become more efficient by identifying choke points – it highlighted where additional training was needed, not only in the decontamination setting, but also in the clinical environment. The system also allowed for better inventory management, which allowed us to reduce costs by allocating resources where required.” 

You’ve been in our customers’ shoes. How does that help you advocate for their needs within Athera? 

“I know first-hand how challenging it is to juggle regulatory demands and operational pressures while keeping patient safety at the forefront. Now, as their Customer Success Manager with a brilliant team behind me, I’m dedicated to ensuring customers get the most out of our solutions and helping their teams succeed every step of the way.” 

What’s your message to the frontline teams you’ll now be supporting: 

“I know their pains, wants, and needs, so I want customers to feel confident that I’m going to help them achieve their goals and ensure they’re getting everything they need from our products. The team and I are here to build lasting relationships based on trust and transparency. Having seen first-hand the immense pressure clinical departments face, I want our products to ease that burden, freeing teams to focus on what matters most: patient safety.”