Challenges ahead for biomedical engineers

An educational symposium on ‘medical equipment innovations’, held in Milton Keynes, was recently attended by biomedical and clinical engineers from across the UK. Organised by the team behind the online educational resource, www.ebme.co.uk, the seminar programme attracted high profile speakers on a range of subjects – from medical technology and innovation in the reorganised NHS, to improving regulatory compliance in medical devices management. Delegates were also provided with an insight into key technologies – from the use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) for patients with obstructive sleep apnoea, to devices used to monitor depth of anaesthesia monitoring. The keynote speech on ‘medical technology and innovation in the reorganised NHS’ was delivered by Professor Nick Bosanquet, who is a professor of health policy, at Imperial College, and a consultant director for the think tank ‘Reform’. Prof. Bosanquet recently developed a report on forecasts of NHS funding entitled: The NHS in 2010: Reform or Bust, and is also a special advisor on public expenditure to the Commons Health Committee – as well as a member of the DH Advisory Group on the new cancer strategy. “My message, today, is a positive one,” he commented, “But it could also be perceived as a threat – biomedical engineers will be moved out of the ‘basement’ of hospitals to having a more central role in care, in the new phase of the health service. They are going to be a key resource driver for the ‘higher quality’, ‘more access’ and ‘quicker response’ health service, which will be delivered at lower cost.”

Changing role of biomedical engineers

He pointed out that biomedical engineers are going to have a much greater contribution to make as reorganisation of the NHS intensifies, over the next few years. Worldwide, there is a move away from the old model of healthcare, where a patient is diagnosed and treated in the short-term, to a more population based model of healthcare focused on prevention, early detection, ambulatory treatment and care closer to home. “This involves pressure for you, as biomedical engineers,” he warned. “The range of technology is far greater than it once was and we are now seeing a rise in new kinds of ‘lighter’ equipment. Utilisation is also becoming an increasingly important issue – people want to use equipment much more intensively. There have been many studies that show that the NHS is a very poor user of equipment. This is a particular issue for scanners – utilisation is half that of the private sector.” This is now changing, according to Prof. Bosanquet – largely due to funding pressures. Rather than investing in more and more new equipment, health providers will have to use equipment more effectively, while facing rising demand for services. Other important developments include the introduction of more explicit quality standards, as well as more diffusion of equipment. “There will be more sites where equipment is used, compared to the past. All this presents new challenges for biomedical engineers,” he commented. Healthcare resources are finite and there is now a move towards prevention in a bid to contain spending, he pointed out, adding: “Prevention works – it takes a lot of hard work in terms of population databases, screening, communication and persuasion to change lifestyles. However, there is also new technology required to deliver this.”