Tag: UK Conferences 2026

10 Best Infectious Diseases, Sterilization & Decontamination Conferences In The UK In 2026

The UK’s infectious diseases, sterilization, and decontamination conference calendar in 2026 is unusually active. The COVID-19 Public Inquiry Module 3 report on the pandemic’s impact on healthcare systems is reshaping how NHS teams think about infection prevention and control (IPC). The 20th anniversary of the Stoke Mandeville C. difficile report has reopened governance questions that never fully closed. And the ongoing pressure to reduce reliance on certain sterilization chemicals is forcing sterile services teams to act.

The result is a dense calendar, with events ranging from single-day NHS practitioner events to two-day national conferences drawing speakers from UKHSA, NHS England, and leading teaching hospitals. This guide maps the key UK events, who attends each one, and what the programming covers.

Key Takeaways

• The UK has dedicated events for both decontamination and sterile services teams (DAS 2026, CSC ASM, DECON UK) and broader infection prevention conferences (IPC 2026, IP2026). These serve different audiences and are worth attending separately.
• April 2026 is the busiest month. Three decontamination and sterile services events land within ten days: CSC ASM (Apr 20–21), DECON UK (Apr 24), and DAS 2026 (Apr 29).
• Antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship run through every UK conference on this list, from frontline IPC events to clinical microbiology meetings.
• CPD and RCPath accreditation are available at several events, making conference selection a practical professional development decision for NHS scientists and clinicians.

How This List Was Compiled

To get the most out of this list, you must understand how it was prepared.

This list was built using the following criteria:

• UK location or strong UK audience: Priority given to events held in England, Wales, Scotland, or Northern Ireland, or with programming specifically relevant to NHS practice
• Relevance to infectious diseases, sterilization, or decontamination: Does the event address HAIs, AMR, decontamination processes, sterile services compliance, or infection prevention?
• Organizational credibility: Events run by established professional bodies (BSAC, IPS, CSC) are weighted higher than commercially organized events
• Practical value for NHS professionals: Does the programming translate into day-to-day clinical or operational improvements?
• CPD or RCPath accreditation: Noted where confirmed, as this influences attendance decisions for NHS scientists and clinicians

No conference paid for placement.

Here’s an overview of the top infectious diseases, sterilization & decontamination conferences:

The 10 Best Infectious Diseases, Sterilization & Decontamination Conferences To Attend in 2026

Let’s review each conference in detail.

1. DAS 2026

When: April 29, 2026

Where: National Conference Centre, Solihull

What makes it essential: DAS is the UK’s flagship annual event dedicated to the decontamination, sterilisation, and validation of reusable medical devices. Over seven hours of CPD-accredited sessions cover everything from HTM 01-01 (Health Technical Memorandum) updates to net zero sustainability within sterile services. Sessions in 2026 address endoscope reprocessing risks, biofilm challenges, sustainable decontamination methods, and the ongoing debate around whether the UK should move from disinfection to sterilization of flexible endoscopes.

The programme is built for both frontline staff and national NHS leaders. The exhibition runs alongside CPD sessions and includes live technology demonstrations.

Best for: NHS sterile services teams, decontamination leads, CSSD and SSD managers, biomedical engineers, and infection control specialists

Who attends: CSSD and SSD managers, biomedical engineers, JAG assessors, infection control specialists, regulatory bodies, and theatre nurses from NHS trusts and independent providers across the UK.

2. DECON UK 2026

When: April 24, 2026

Where: Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton

What makes it essential: DECON UK 2026 is a free one-day conference run jointly by The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust, and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. The programme covers decontamination within pharmacy aseptic services, endoscopy, procurement, waste management, and sustainability in sterile services.

Its NHS-run, no-cost format makes it one of the most accessible decontamination events in the UK. The practical focus suits frontline staff who need applied guidance without the scale of larger national events.

Best for: Sterile services managers, decontamination leads, endoscopy teams, theatre nurses, and procurement and waste management teams

Who attends: Sterile services managers, decontamination leads, theatre nurses, endoscopy staff, IPC teams, and procurement and waste management professionals from NHS trusts across the Midlands and beyond.

3. CSC Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

When: April 20–21, 2026

Where: Nottingham

What makes it essential: The Central Sterilising Club (CSC) has run its Annual Scientific Meeting since 1960. The 2026 programme covers the risk balance of reprocessing orthopaedic implants versus single-use alternatives, cleaning complex reusable tools, the risks of sustainability decisions made without adequate evidence, and whether the UK should abandon HTMs in favour of international decontamination standards.

The CSC is the original UK decontamination forum solely dedicated to cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization. Its two-day format allows deeper technical discussion than single-day events.

Best for: Decontamination scientists, reusable medical device leads, sterile services managers, and clinical scientists

Who attends: Decontamination scientists, clinical scientists, sterile services managers, infection control specialists, and healthcare professionals working across all aspects of medical device reprocessing.

4. IPC 2026

When: TBC 2026

Where: UK

What makes it essential: IPC 2026 arrives at a policy-defining moment. The UK COVID-19 Public Inquiry Module 3 report and the 20th anniversary of the Stoke Mandeville C. difficile report are both shaping the agenda. Sessions cover HCAIs and emerging threats, antimicrobial resistance, outbreak response, environmental reservoirs, transmission risks in critical care, and the role of human factors in reducing infection risk.

Speakers include consultants from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, NHS England’s HCID Networks Coordinator, a Professor of Pharmaceutical Microbiology from Cardiff University, and an Emeritus Professor from Leiden University.

Best for: IPC nurses, NHS clinical scientists, infection prevention leads, and hospital epidemiologists

Who attends: IPC nurses and leads, NHS clinical directors, infection control teams, and healthcare scientists working across acute and community care settings.

5. IP2026 — IPS Annual Conference

When: September 28–29, 2026

Where: Royal Armouries, Leeds

What makes it essential: The Infection Prevention Society (IPS) annual conference theme for 2026 is “Technical and Digital Innovations: Diagnostics, AI and the Future of IPC.” Six themed content streams cover antimicrobial stewardship, decontamination science, AI and digital innovation, behavioural science, safe environments, and pandemic preparedness.

Programming includes the prestigious Cottrell, Tina Bradley, and Ayliffe Lectures, alongside oral and poster presentations, industry symposia, and parallel scientific sessions. Early bird registration is open until May 25, 2026. IPS members pay from £390 for full conference access.

Best for: IPC practitioners, microbiologists, epidemiologists, behavioural scientists, and health system leaders

Who attends: IPC practitioners, microbiologists, epidemiologists, nurses, public health professionals, and health system leaders from across the UK and internationally.

6. IPC Route to Net Zero Conference 2026

When: March 13, 2026 (completed; check ips.uk.net for the next edition)

Where: Novotel Sheffield Centre, Sheffield

What makes it essential: This IPS Sustainability Special Interest Group conference focuses on the relationship between infection prevention and control and sustainable healthcare delivery. Sessions address IPC’s role as an enabler of net zero, real-world case studies of sustainable decontamination projects, and the challenge of reducing healthcare’s environmental impact without compromising patient safety.

Best for: IPC practitioners, sustainability leads, NHS estates and facilities teams, and clinical scientists interested in greener decontamination and infection prevention practice

Who attends: IPC practitioners, sustainability professionals, NHS estates teams, and clinical scientists working at the intersection of infection prevention and environmental sustainability.

7. BSAC Spring Conference 2026

When: May 14–15, 2026

Where: London and online (hybrid)

What makes it essential: The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC) Spring Conference theme for 2026 is “Advancing Infection Management: From Global Challenges to Clinical Innovation.” Sessions address antimicrobial diagnostics, urinary tract sepsis, hospital-acquired pneumonia and ventilator-associated pneumonia (HAP/VAP), carbapenem-sparing treatments, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing updates.

The hybrid format makes it accessible for NHS staff across the UK who cannot travel to London. Programming is designed to deliver evidence-based learning applicable directly to clinical decision-making and antimicrobial stewardship.

Best for: Infectious disease clinicians, clinical microbiologists, infection pharmacists, GPs, and researchers

Who attends: Infectious disease physicians, clinical microbiologists, infection pharmacists, GP researchers, public health professionals, and any clinician committed to fighting infection across primary and secondary care.

8. BSAC Infection 2026

When: December 9–10, 2026

Where: London and online (hybrid)

What makes it essential: BSAC Infection 2026 is the Society’s annual winter conference. Previous editions have featured sessions bridging the lab and the clinic: clinical-pathological case studies, next-generation diagnostics for virology, AMR surveillance, and the BSAC Resistance Surveillance Project findings. RCPath CPD accreditation has been confirmed in previous years; 2026 details to follow.

Speakers have historically come from UKHSA, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, UCLH, NHS Greater Glasgow, and international collaborators.

Best for: Clinical microbiologists, infectious disease physicians, infection pharmacists, and trainees in ID and clinical microbiology

Who attends: Consultant microbiologists, infectious disease clinicians, infection pharmacists, and trainees from across the UK and internationally.

9. 18th Euro-Global Infectious Diseases Conference

When: April 16–17, 2026

Where: London

What makes it essential: The 18th Euro-Global Conference on Infectious Diseases brings together researchers, clinicians, microbiologists, epidemiologists, and public health professionals in London for two days of plenary sessions, oral and poster presentations, panel discussions, and industry workshops. Sessions cover infection control and hospital-acquired infections, antimicrobial resistance, vaccines, diagnostics, and emerging pathogens. Accepted abstracts are published in Conference Series journals.

Best for: Infectious disease researchers, clinicians, epidemiologists, and early-career scientists

Who attends: ID researchers, clinicians, microbiologists, epidemiologists, public health professionals, pharmaceutical industry representatives, and early-career scientists.

10. GIOH 2026

When: September 21–23, 2026

Where: London (hybrid)

What makes it essential: GIOH 2026 runs under the theme “From Breakthroughs to Preparedness: The Next Era of Infectious Diseases.” The conference is CPD-accredited and covers molecular biology, genomics, digital biosurveillance, AI-driven disease prediction, and outbreak preparedness. Sessions address human, animal, and environmental health in an integrated framework.

Best for: Infectious disease researchers, genomics scientists, public health professionals, and clinicians working within a One Health framework

Who attends: ID researchers, clinical scientists, veterinarians, public health officials, data scientists, and policymakers working across human, animal, and environmental health.

What the 2026 UK Conference Calendar Tells Us

Several themes shape the UK calendar this year as the field responds to post-pandemic governance and sustainability pressures. Understanding these trends helps you identify which events will be most valuable for your work:

April is the month for decontamination

Three dedicated decontamination and sterile services events land within ten days of each other. Professionals in this space can attend all three without major travel disruption.

Post-pandemic governance is shaping the IPC agenda

IPC 2026 and IP2026 both address the COVID-19 Public Inquiry findings directly. This is not background context; it is active programming.

Sustainability has moved from fringe to mainstream

The IPC Route to Net Zero conference is a dedicated event. IP2026 includes it as a content stream. DAS 2026 covers it in the context of sterile packaging and chemical reduction.

Hybrid is now a baseline expectation

BSAC, GIOH, and the BSAC Infection 2026 winter conference all offer virtual attendance. NHS professionals in regional trusts no longer need to travel to London to access the best clinical infectious diseases content.

Plan Your 2026 UK Conference Calendar

The events above cover every professional working in UK infectious diseases, sterilization, and decontamination, from bedside IPC nurses to SSD managers to clinical microbiologists.

A practical approach for 2026:

• If your work centres on decontamination and sterile services, the April cluster (CSC ASM, DECON UK, DAS 2026) gives you three events in ten days, each serving a slightly different audience and depth of content.
• If your focus is infection prevention practice, IPC 2026 and IP2026 together give you the most comprehensive NHS-specific programming of the year, with governance, diagnostics, AI, and antimicrobial stewardship all covered.
• If your work sits in clinical infectious diseases or antimicrobial science, BSAC’s two conferences (May and December) are the most credentialed UK events on the calendar, with CPD accreditation and programming built around evidence-based clinical practice.

Check each conference’s official website for registration deadlines, CPD details, and abstract submission windows, as several open early in the year.

FAQs

Which UK decontamination conferences in 2026 are free to attend?

DECON UK 2026 (Wolverhampton, Apr 24) is a free NHS-run event. The DAS 2026 conference charges delegate fees but offers CPD-accredited sessions covering the full range of NHS decontamination and sterile services practice.

Which 2026 UK conference is most focused on antimicrobial resistance and stewardship for NHS clinicians?

The BSAC Spring Conference 2026 (London, May 14–15) covers antimicrobial diagnostics, stewardship, and resistance most directly for NHS clinical teams. It is hybrid, making it accessible outside London.

Are there UK events specifically covering the overlap between infection prevention and environmental sustainability?

The IPC Route to Net Zero Conference (Sheffield, Mar 13) is dedicated entirely to this intersection. IP2026 (Leeds, Sep 28–29) also includes a content stream on sustainable decontamination and infection prevention practice.

Which events carry RCPath CPD accreditation for biomedical scientists and clinical microbiologists?

The BSAC Infection 2026 winter conference has carried RCPath CPD credits in previous years. DAS 2026 offers over seven hours of CPD-accredited sessions for sterile services professionals. Confirm 2026 accreditation details directly with each organizer.

How do the three April decontamination events differ from each other?

CSC ASM (Apr 20–21) is the most technical, focused on scientific and standards-based decontamination debate. DECON UK (Apr 24) is a free, NHS trust-run event with a practical operational focus. DAS 2026 (Apr 29) is the largest, covering the broadest range of sterile services topics with a full exhibition alongside the CPD programme.