We are fast approaching 31 October 2019. The business wants to assure you that Arjo are working closely with our logistics and manufacturing departments to ensure we have contingencies in place for the uncertainty of Brexit. This includes ensuring that we have additional stock of both spare parts and consumables.

Owning and using medical devices brings with it a responsibility for users to ensure they meet the rigorous standards set out in the legislation and regulatory guidance that are designed to protect both patient and resident safety, as well as the safety of the caregiver. Examples include:

There is a general trend in the care environment that essential and expensive equipment is getting smaller and more mobile.   On average, hospitals over procure 20-30% of their mobile assets and lose up to 15% of critical equipment each year.1  A healthcare facility may have equipment that is very valuable from a procurement perspective, or the equipment utilisation could be very high.  When such equipment is needed, it is needed right away and there is precious little time to spend searching for it. Examples of such equipment include IV pumps, temporary pacemakers, beds, mobile lifters, ECG machines, mobile ECMO etc.

Over a quarter of a million people need Changing Places toilets to enable them to get out and about and enjoy the day-to-day activities many of us take for granted.1 For people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy,1  their needs are not always met by standard accessible toilets.

Healthcare professionals are increasingly tasked with doing more, but with less resources. They need access to a multitude of mobile medical devices to help diagnose, monitor, manage and care for patients’ every single day. Problems can arise when critical equipment is not available in the right place at the right time.

Good record keeping is essential for the safe management of medical devices, and all aspects of medical device management require some degree of record keeping.

Medical devices play a key role in the delivery of healthcare and are vital components of diagnosis, therapy, monitoring, rehabilitation and care. Effective management of this important resource is required to ensure the delivery of high quality patient care with clinical and financial governance, including reductions in risk and avoidance of adverse events.

Ensuring your healthcare facility is running at its optimum operational efficiency is more than simply investing in the right equipment; you need to be certain everything is performing well and at full capacity.

Venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism (PE), is a potentially serious complication that delays recovery and discharge, leads to long-term and often life changing complications, while increasing healthcare cost.1,2

As part of National Thrombosis Week (6–10 May 2019), we are joining the campaign to spread awareness about Venous Thromboembolism with a series of articles about this deadly disease.