Day 1 of WoCoVA 2026 in Valencia also brought a session that every ward manager, infection control lead and vascular access trainer should have been in the room for. The GBUK industry symposium delivered powerful, data-driven evidence on infection prevention — and the message was clear: better systems beat better habits every time.

It Starts at the Hub

After 10 to 14 days, intraluminal colonisation — from hands and connectors — becomes the dominant infection pathway. Exit site care matters early, but hub management is where infections are won or lost in the long term.

The data presented covered VAD selection, insertion practice, exit site care, and administration set management as a connected bundle. None of it is complicated. All of it needs to be trained consistently — and that consistency is exactly where most organisations fall short.

The Problem with Scrub-the-Hub

Here's the data that should stop everyone in their tracks. Scrub-the-hub compliance sits at just 10%. Only 3.7% of nurses maintain the recommended 15 seconds or more.

15 seconds. That's a Happy Birthday. Doesn't sound like much — but on a busy ward, it's time that's genuinely hard to find. And even when staff find it, manual disinfection depends entirely on human technique, struggles to reach the topographical irregularities of connector surfaces, and leaves the hub immediately re-exposed to the environment the moment you're done.

Passive Disinfection Caps: the Numbers Speak

Passive disinfection caps — the caps that sit on your hubs — are not just a dust cover. Inside is a 70% IPA sponge that bathes the connector surface and penetrates irregularities that manual wiping simply can't reach. They're colour coded for instant visual verification that one is on and intact. Protection is maintained for up to 7 days if undisturbed. Single use only — they cannot be reattached.

The efficacy data: 87.3% bacterial load reduction with passive caps versus 48.5% with manual gauze and ethanol. And hospitals using them are saving $1,996–$3,556 per year.

When compliance with manual technique is at 10%, the answer isn't more training on the same method. It's a better system. And then training people to understand why that system works — what the evidence says, what the mechanism is, what happens when you get it wrong.

That's what VeinTrain's online skills lab is designed to do. Not just the what, but the why. Reaching all staff with the right practice, aligned to your local standard, with the depth to make it stick.

Pre-filled Syringes and Securement

The session also covered pre-filled syringes for flushing and locking — evidence shows they reduce CRBSI rates compared to manually filled syringes, and with so many devices now available, it's not acceptable not to use them. The question is whether teams understand how they work.

Sutureless securement, high-breathability transparent dressings, and gauze-and-tape protocols (every 2 days, or immediately if dirty, torn or wet) also featured — all part of a connected bundle that only works if every touchpoint is trained properly.

More from WoCoVA 2026 to follow.

VeinTrain delivers venepuncture and cannulation training for NHS trusts, independent clinicians and healthcare organisations across the UK. Find out about our organisational training programmes.