Catherine Ellsworth is a perioperative safety consultant and former NHS Theatre Manager with 18 years of experience in surgical environments. She holds a Master's degree in Healthcare Quality Improvement from Imperial College London and is certified in Decontamination and Sterile Services management. She now advises hospital trusts and private clinics on CQC compliance, theatre infection control, and surgical instrument traceability.
Catherine Ellsworth began her career as an operating department practitioner before rising to Theatre Manager at a major NHS foundation trust in the West Midlands, where she oversaw the daily operations of twelve surgical theatres. She completed her Master's in Healthcare Quality Improvement at Imperial College London, focusing her dissertation on the reduction of surgical site infections through laminar flow theatre design and enhanced sterilisation protocols. Over 18 years, Catherine has managed perioperative teams across orthopaedic, neurosurgical, and general surgical specialties, gaining deep expertise in autoclave validation cycles, sterile field maintenance, and sharps disposal regulations under HTM 01-01 and COSHH guidelines. She played a key role in preparing her trust for multiple CQC inspections, achieving 'Outstanding' ratings for surgical safety. Catherine is now an independent consultant advising both NHS trusts and private day-surgery centres on theatre design, decontamination audits, and staff training in aseptic technique. Her writing aims to demystify what happens inside the operating theatre for patients and families, covering everything from pre-operative preparation to post-surgical wound care. She is committed to making surgical safety standards transparent and accessible so patients can ask the right questions before consenting to procedures.