EBME Forums Forums Management Equipment Libraries Equipment Libraries, Out Of Hour Management.

Our Equipment Libraries have been running since 2002 and on the whole they work well. The area that causes us problems is the out of hour access to the Library.

How do you guys manage this problem?

Is there a functioning Library in North London, Herts, Beds, Bucks area that I can visit.

What about Harlow, Nick? (M11 Junction 7 and very well sign-posted).

Give us a call on 01279 827533.
The manager is John Sandham - but anyone who's in should be able to help.

Re - the original question. Porters have access at night.

Originally that was a real problem as they were taking equipment without signing for it (as a result we had no idea where the equipment was).

But, after considerable "re-education" (and the use of a web-cam), things are getting better.

H.

"But, after considerable "re-education" (and the use of a web-cam), things are getting better."

Just like Big Brother then ! ? !

Our library is on a very spread out site. We work with three points of access, two satelite cupboards (kept topped up by the eq. lib. nurse) and the library itself. Out of hours acces is by either the porters or the nurses themselves. We have found it impossible to keep track of equipment. Even when we knew where it went to from the library, it would then get moved around the wards without our knowledge, especially with transfers of patients around the hospital. We no longer keep track of equipment but with the way the nurses use the equipment it generally comes back to us fairly regularly.

Nick,

While you're visiting Harlow, if you want to pop further down the M11 to Whipps Cross and have a look at our Library, you're more than welcome.

020 8535 6647

The night managers have access out of hours using a card-swipe system, to keep track of who comes and goes.

Paul.

PS: Huw, "and the use of a web-cam" do I really want to know what goes on in the Library at night, apart from collecting equipment?

As Huw said,
We gave a key to the porters who deliver equipment out of hours. Our equipment librarian then enters the equipment request forms onto the database and collects when due.

What purpose does the webcam actually serve?
Is it recording who actually enters the library?
I know its meant to act as a deterent, but however lets consider the worst case scenario........

A porter/ nurse/ person, gains access to the library, removes several expensive one off items, and does not return them. This person is confronted several weeks later to request these items are returned. This person denys all knowledge, claiming they were not even in the country on this accused date??

Where does this leave the poor webcam operator, who now has to play detective, download, transfer the video image / data into a format so it can be produced as evidence against the accused?

It all sounds a bit too juducial of the whole process...?

Or am I just taking things to the extreme ?

The web-cam is there to encourage people to fill in the paperwork.

It seems to work. We have a good relationship with the porters and we've been able to banter with them about when the forms weren't filled out.

They in turn, put on some 'amusing' shows for the camera...

I'll say no more on that!

I fail to see how a webcam will encourage people to fill out forms.

Maybee a few webcams positioned in the local DSS office counter would go a long way to helping candidates complete longwinded, as they see, needless forms?

This may be the same view nursing staff take "Not another yet pointless form to complete"

It certainly did not stop the contestents on Big Brother demolishing the set/furniture and hurling abuse at fellow housemates did it?

I still fail to see the relation ?

Chris-H

Hi Folks,
We've attempted to have an equipment library at North Middlesex Hospital. We purchased loads of infusion pumps for this purpose. The main problem is getting any thing back to loan out again and we've almost given up trying. If you phone the ward you find that they haven't got the loan equipment anymore. For example, it's been attached to the patient and has gone somewhere else but the ward staff can't tell you where!
I think the only way to deal with this without having some form of tracker device attached to the equipment is have regular walk round inspections of wards. Unfortunately, we can't afford to employ anyone to specifically do this.
Has anyone out there any other ideas?