Out of the workshop ‘on to the ward’

In 2014, a damning report warned that ‘the low priority given to NHS engineers is leading to problems caused by faulty medical equipment, cancelled operations and poor value for money for taxpayers’. In the previous year, over 13,000 incidents were reported relating to faulty medical equipment, which led to over 300 deaths and around 5,000 serious injuries. This report, from the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, highlighted the crucial role of electro-biomedical engineering in delivering safe, quality care and was reinforced at this year’s EBME Seminar – the message was clear: improving healthcare technology management saves lives and money.

High profile speakers and over 200 delegates gathered to discuss some of the key challenges (and opportunities) ahead, for electro-biomedical engineers, in the face of continued financial pressure in the NHS. Key issues raised included the fact that medical equipment remains under-utilised, technology continues to be poorly specified, user training remains inadequate, and planned maintenance and replacement strategies require significant improvement.

Faced with significant financial pressures, Trusts also need to be assured that they are gaining value for money from procurement decisions, while a lack of investment means that NHS technology is continuing to age. As the NHS is tasked with having to do ‘more for less’, the question arises: how could electro-biomedical engineers help their clinical colleagues continue to deliver high quality care for all?