A scheme developed to cut the high costs of repairing surgical instruments has been highly commended at an award ceremony after leading to huge savings for an NHS Trust.
Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust was recognised in the Procurement Innovation or Initiative of the Year category at the 2012/2013 Government Opportunities (GO) Excellence in Public Procurement Awards, after implementing an initiative developed by B. Braun Medical. The Trust, which operates Tameside Hospital, was carrying out approximately 300 laparoscopic operations each year, but faced major issues with maintaining surgical instruments. It worked with B. Braun Medical to create a complete ‘managed service’, called Aesculap RENU, ensuring surgeons get the newest, highest quality, laparoscopic instruments for a simple monthly fee. For the fee, Aesculap carries out preventative service and maintenance after 25 uses to ensure all instruments are in the best possible condition. This improves operation and patient recovery times and reduces the number of cancelled operations. Implementation has led to estimated annual savings of around £500,000 for the Trust, which will equate to approximately £5 million over ten years.
