Ondine expands Steriwave adoption at UK NHS trust

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust has adopted Ondine’s Steriwave nasal photodisinfection technology to help cut surgical site infections in orthopaedic patients. The move adds to broader NHS use across the UK and Canada as hospitals look for faster, non-antibiotic ways to reduce infection risk and protect surgical capacity.

Why it matters: - Surgical site infections can add weeks of hospital care after elective hip and knee surgery, increasing pressure on beds, readmissions and treatment costs. - Steriwave offers a five-minute, nurse-administered, non-antibiotic option that can be used immediately before surgery. - NHS adoption matters because hospitals are looking for faster ways to reduce infection risk without relying on multi-day nasal treatments or antibiotics.

What happened: - Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust became the latest NHS provider to adopt Ondine’s Steriwave for patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery. - The Trust said the move followed a trial that showed patients could be treated at short notice, helping improve theatre use and reduce avoidable infections. - The rollout adds to Steriwave use across orthopaedics, cardiac surgery and intensive care settings in the UK and Canada.

The details: - Steriwave targets harmful pathogens in the nose, which is a major reservoir of bacteria linked to surgical site infections. - The treatment uses a light-activated antimicrobial agent and red light to destroy pathogens through an oxidative process. - Traditional antibiotic-based decolonisation usually requires several days of patient-administered nasal treatment and can be affected by poor compliance and antibiotic resistance. - Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust said Steriwave supports its infection prevention efforts, responsible antibiotic use and capacity for planned surgery. - Kris Khambhaita, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at the Trust, said Steriwave is a rapid, non-antibiotic intervention that fits into the elective orthopaedic pathway. - Will Ferreira, Deputy Director of Operations for Surgical Critical & Planned Care, said the trial helped the Trust address MRSA screening and decolonisation challenges before elective surgery. - Ferreira said patients in the trial were treated at the Trust’s QMH site in less than 24 hours. - Ferreira said the approach improved use of theatre time that might otherwise have gone unused and gave patients a more planned experience. - Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust reported a 78% reduction in SSIs for high-risk endoscopic anterior skull-base surgery in its Steriwave study. - Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust reported a 71% reduction in SSIs for elective hip and knee replacements in earlier real-world data. - York Health Economics Consortium found Steriwave to be cost-saving in a separate health economic analysis. - NHS Supply Chain has classified Steriwave as an Innovation Product, which supports access for NHS providers. - Steriwave is distributed in the UK through a strategic partnership with Mölnlycke Health Care and remains available through the NHS Supply Chain framework.

Between the lines: - The adoption reflects a broader push by hospitals to find infection-control tools that can be deployed quickly at the point of care. - The NHS results cited in the release are being used to support wider confidence in Steriwave across more surgical specialties. - The commercial and operational pitch is not only lower infection risk but also smoother scheduling and better use of operating room capacity.

What's next: - More NHS providers may expand use of Steriwave if local pilots continue to show infection reduction and operational benefits. - Ondine said the technology is seeing growing adoption in the UK and Canada across higher-risk clinical settings. - The company’s UK distribution remains tied to Mölnlycke Health Care and NHS Supply Chain access for eligible providers.

The bottom line: - Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust is the latest signal that Steriwave is moving from pilot use to broader NHS adoption as hospitals seek faster, non-antibiotic infection prevention tools.