EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Equipment Fault Reporting

Hi everyone.

I am a BSc Biomedical Engineering student and am doing a survery to find out about the methods of fault reporting in NHS hospitals. Can you please tell me what methods are used at various hospitals - bleep, phone (answered in workshop,) phone (answered at 'fault desk') or other methods e.g. electronic/computerised. Also, views on how the various methods work would be helpful; what are the good & bad points, in your opinion.

Thank you.

Hi Ruth. We use an off site call centre all faults called into one number. They list the equipment ID,location,what is wrong etc. The call centre email our administrator who creates a job on our OPTIM data base and allocate to a Technician.

Hi Ruth,
All of our device support an Asset label that also gives our departments phone number - simple read one phone the other. We are also very flexible in that we accept work by any means, phone, bleep, delivered by hand or even grab us as we pass by.
All work requests via any of the above are entered into our medical devices management software to generate the relevant work ticket.
pete

Hi Ruth
All our devices are labeled when the next test is due. so staff can easily identify whether an item is in compliance or not. if it not in compliance or if there is a fauly ALL staff are notified to contact a central telephone number to the call logging system. calls are logged with details ie equipment type, asset Number, fault, and relevant contact details of staff member who reported it. the call centre forwards the relevant details to the appropriate department ie Engineers or EBME STAFF. THE ONLY DRAW BACK IS ITS MORE DAM PAPERWORK
Paul

Not wanting to seem pestimistic and all that, but in my experience with medical staff reporting equipment is a thing of the past. Many times equipment which has been dropped, banged or had severe impact damage tends to stay in the corner until a lucky Engineer gets to see it down the line a month or so. Education, Education, Education! Are staff that worried about getting in trouble that they would put lives at risk!!!

…as I opened the cupboard and a pile of junk (er, medical equipment) spilled out in a tangled mess all over my size tens, the nurse eyed me, hands firmly placed on hips, smacked her lips and said “Well, I’m far too busy tending to the sick and needy to have time to bother about whatever it is you’re calling it – equipment management”!

Man, you all have it together!! I believe the official protocol here is to find a scrap of paper, draw a frowny face (with or without tears indicating severity of malfunction), tape it to the device and hide the device in a closet. I should say that some of our nurse do excellent jobs of properly completing work orders which may be faxed to us, emailed, or delivered in person. As mentioned by Pete, any form of communication is acceptable, telegraph, smoke signals, whatever. Most important is that they need to include what device, what the malfunction is, where it is, and who they are so we can ask questions if we need to.

Isn't it the most frustrating thing for an engineer when a medical type oink drops a bit of kit in your lap with a message such as "tits up" or "Knackered" written on it on it?

P.S. Simon Bennett used to listen to STEPS and the VENGA BOYS in the Workshop when we worked together in Gosport.

As a dep't we accept equipment by any means of communication. We also went to the trouble of creating a form for the staff to fill in and attach to the equipmnet. However the preferred method still seems to be a scrap of paper with 'not working' written on it. At christmas and birthdays the staff may write what is wrong with it on their scrap of paper or even fill in the form.

We have an Estates help desk with a call logging system but usually the equipment is either:
1) Faulty
11) Needs service
When we speak to the caller, usually night shift or A N Other has left a note on the device stating "knackered" or "broken" or "doesn't work properly".
Oh for the days when all pieces of medical equipment have a history or memory feature!