Importance of medical device policy

So why are there so many Trusts still without a medical devices policy? LOUISE FRAMPTON reports.

The EBME Seminar is an independent, educational event, bringing together healthcare professionals that are responsible for the management of medical equipment – including procurement, maintenance, user training, and inventory management. Taking place at the Milton Keynes DoubleTree Hilton Hotel, next to Milton Keynes’s stadium (the home of the MK Dons), the event tackled key issues, challenges and technology developments affecting the Electro-Biomedical Engineering (EBME) sector, as well as all those working in the health service to deliver safe, cost-effective care.

John Sandham, chairman of the medical devices website www.ebme.co.uk, gave an insight into why device management policy is so important. An expert in the field of medical devices management, he has been instrumental in changing the device management processes of many Trusts and has a track record in delivering safe, cost-saving improvements. He commented that the profile of medical device management must be raised across UK Trusts, warning that it has a direct impact on risk and cost.