AfPP Elected Trustee and perioperative safety advocate Lisa Nealen has played a pivotal role in helping launch a major national campaign focused on protecting healthcare staff from exposure to hazardous medicinal products (HMPs).
Working closely with her local MP Luke Akehurst to bring this issue forward, Lisa has been instrumental in ensuring that the voices of frontline practitioners are heard at the highest levels of government.
Her efforts culminated in her attendance at a landmark parliamentary reception at Westminster, hosted by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in partnership with the Safer Healthcare Biosafety Network (SHBN). Although Lisa attended in her own capacity, she also proudly represented the Association for Perioperative Practice (AfPP), bringing the experience and concerns of perioperative teams directly into the national conversation.
Driving attention to an urgent workforce safety risk
The event, Protecting Nursing Staff: Safer Handling of Hazardous Medicinal Products, gathered MPs, peers, healthcare leaders, regulators, and frontline clinicians to address the widespread but often overlooked risks associated with hazardous medicinal products. Staff across the NHS may be exposed to HMPs during preparation, administration, patient care, transport, and waste disposal, with even trace exposure linked to carcinogenic, mutagenic, and reproductive harm.
Despite this, the UK currently has:
- No official definition of what constitutes a hazardous medicinal product
- No national reference list to support identification
- No mandatory minimum safety standards for handling, preparation, or administration
- Inconsistent application of Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations, leaving staff with varying levels of protection
Internationally, the UK lags behind both the European Union and the United States, where clearer legislation and safety frameworks are already in place.
The newly published RCN Position Statement on Hazardous Medicinal Products outlines a series of urgent measures, including the adoption of mandatory control standards, environmental monitoring, and comprehensive training for all staff who may be exposed.
Lisa’s leadership: bringing perioperative expertise into the national spotlight
Lisa’s active role in launching this campaign with her local MP reflects her longstanding commitment to safe practice and staff wellbeing. With almost three decades of theatre experience, she has built a respected profile as an educator, advocate, and catalyst for change within the perioperative community.
Her contributions include:
- Serving as AfPP’s regional representative for the Northeast, Yorkshire, and the whole of Scotland
- Acting as a Freedom to Speak Up champion
- Leading national conversations around surgical smoke safety, including working with Stryker UK as a Key Opinion Leader
- Helping develop robust departmental guidelines to ensure ongoing smoke evacuation practice
- Supporting Clean Air Theatres initiatives through education and evidence-based advocacy
- Representing AfPP at conferences, national webinars, and multidisciplinary safety forums
Lisa’s experience in championing safer environments made her an invaluable contributor as this new campaign took shape, ensuring perioperative risk, which is often under-recognised, was included within the wider NHS debate on HMP exposure.
Keeping the issue on the political agenda
At the parliamentary reception, all MPs and peers were encouraged to submit written questions to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. Luke Akehurst MP will take this further by asking the first oral parliamentary question specifically relating to hazardous medicinal products, a milestone moment for national awareness.
The RCN has already engaged with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to explore the development of guidance and minimum safety standards, with more discussions planned.
A voice for safety, advocacy, and respect
Lisa’s involvement at Westminster underlines the importance of strong, informed advocacy from those who understand the realities of frontline practice. Her leadership, collaboration, and determination have helped elevate this issue to the national level, strengthening AfPP’s commitment to ensuring every perioperative practitioner works in an environment that is safe, supported, and appropriately protected.
Speaking after the event, Lisa reflected on the importance of raising the profile of this critical issue: “This work is about dignity, safety, and respect. No member of staff should face preventable risks while delivering essential care. I was honoured to stand alongside colleagues and represent AfPP as we push for the protections our workforce urgently needs.”
Picture shows Lisa at the Westminster event.