Following on from a comment I made in the "return of infusion devices" thread I would like to know how big is your Library? How many staff have you got, what equipment, how many of each etc I’ve put in the information for Hereford below if you could put your details in and any comments; I think this could be a useful resource and might help others when looking for answers.

At Hereford (a small rural General Hospital with approx. 340 beds) we look after the equipment below and manage all of the static mattresses keeping a rolling replacement stock of 20. All items are cleaned on the Wards by the nursing staff before pick up and are then cleaned /disinfected in a room specially set up for the purpose. The Library also looks after slings, resus rolls and bags, as well as a few “odds and sods“ it is manned during office hours and there is a key at the closest staff base for out of hours.


Staff 3
Clean and disinfect Yes

Equipment
Infusion Pump 68
Mains Syringe Drivers 41
Battery Syringe Drivers 22
Pressure Relief Mattresses 71
Static Mattresses 20
Feed Pumps 23
Nebulisers 11


Lee

Interesting. Any other data? Things like:-

1) The average amount of kit "out" at any time (90%+?)
2) The average stay on the wards (a couple of days, a week or more?)
3) How much kit gets taken out after hours?
4) How much of the kit is "missing"?

... and stuff like that.

And, on operational policy:-

1) Do your staff collect, and deliver (or do the ward staff collect and return)?
2) Do they "patrol" the wards looking for "over stayers" (kit, that is) ... and "missing" items?
3) Do you have a maximum stay limit for each item (or can wards hang on to kit indefinitely, without being challenged)?
4) Are borrowers required to give an estimate how long they are taking the kit for (to enable Library staff to plan ahead)?
5) How does the out-of-hours service work? Who is permitted access (to the Library)? Is the system ever abused?

... and stuff like that!

1)Always
2)When there is time to get the database running i could tell you (currently paper based system)
3)A bit less than a third
4)Very little (good relations at the moment)

On operational policy:-
1)yes Library staff deliver and collect
2)fortunately this is not currently a problem
3)No limit, but each item is lent out specifically for one patent then put out for return
4)No typically these are short term loans
5)The key is held at a staff base, nursing staff have been advised to send an experiance member of staff so that they get what they need first time, however a Guidance folder has been supplied to each Ward/Department with photos of every item held.

Staff are requested to ring and leave a message giving the area, equipment type and patient RLQ (patient identification number)
before taking an item, under each item is a T card which should be put under the relevant section in a T card board when removing the item.

Having invented the simplest system we can, most staff have been supportive but you always get one (or two).

Lee

Thanks for that. It looks the key point to be stressed there is that kit is loaned out for the patient, rather than to the ward etc. So that could provide a route to tracking in case kit does go astray. That is, when, and from where, was the patient discharged, etc.

We've just started up and are only doing infusion devices at the moment. We have 2 full time and 2 part time staff who look after 512 volumetric pumps and 475 syringe drivers. The trust are looking to introduce a second library at the other major hospital here which will probably hold a similar number of devices. The trust are happy with the library and are thinking of adding more equipment types to the library. We may become a victim of out own success.

Bill

I am reasonably sure that there are more than two Equipment Libraries in the UK!

Don't be shy.

Please spend a couple of minutes you can even cut and paste the list below (please put in your numbers etc).

Hereford
Hospital size 340 beds
Library Staff 3
Library staff deliver and collect equipment
Clean and disinfect Yes

Equipment
Infusion Pump 68
Mains Syringe Drivers 41
Battery Syringe Drivers 22
Pressure Relief Mattresses 71
Static Mattresses 20
Feed Pumps 23
Nebulisers 11


Lee

They're probably all busy out there hunting down missing infusion pumps, Mate, I should imagine!

By the way, I've re-discovered that the way to elicit feedback (on this forum, on others, and in other matters) is to offer an incentive of some kind. The stick and the carrot. Or, put another way, threat and reward.

I rekon there's not many libraries out there, it took us more than 20 years to get the funding. Most people would have given up long ago.

I've been to Equipment Libraries at Redditch, Wolverhampton, Cardiff and Blackpool.

I recall somebody from Wigan used to advertise his Library regularly on this site

Each of the following has mentioned Libraries on this site
Dicky from Cumbria
John Sandham
Roberth from Chesterfield
Mark.N at Taunton
I could go on (and often do).

Surely the big advantages of a site like one, is the ability to share information.

Okay nobody can answer or help resolve every problem posted (although Geoff gives it a good go) but if nobody tries its a bit of a shame.

Lee

Lee,
We are currently working at setting up libraries in the two largest hospitals in Belfast. I have been working on procedure recently, as yet no equipment is assigned to the library.

Thanks

Ian