EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management Government Check of Weighing Scales

The BBC web site has a story saying that Trading Standards Officers will be checking the patient weighing scales in hospitals.
Remember, it is legal requirement that scales purchased after 1st January 2003 must be of a certain standard and be checked after maintenance by an approved body. This is a law not a regulation or guidance so anyone found wanting is liable to prosecution.
The UK Weighing Federation has more information on their web site.
Robert

This link sheds further light on this. A visit to your hospital by Trading Standads looks likely. http://www.lacors.gov.uk/lacors/ContentDetails.aspx?id=17951
Graham

They are arriving !!.
We have been contacted by trading standards. They want to independantly check the calibration of all our weighing scales. I don't know if they are aware that we have over 200 in the trust.

Are we selling patients by the lb. or by the kg? Is it just me, or is this country going mad?

I notice that in Robert's original post, the BBC piece mentions that medical staff need to be trained how to use patient weighing scales ("Er, ... you get the patient to stand squarely on the scales, wait for the reading to settle, then make a note of it"). It also makes a big fuss about measuring weight loss (specifically in young patients). ("Er, ... as you are primarily interested in weight difference since the last measurement, always use the same scales so absolute accuracy is not so important"). It's the difference between accuracy and precision!

It seems that Jobsworth not only lives, but he is very well, and thriving!

Or, am I missing something here?

Some of our patients by the cwt.

... yeah, ain't that the truth!

Ken,
Remember only scales purchase after 1st January 2003 come under this law.
The old, manky ones in the corner are fine, it is just the new ones you have to worry about.
How sensible is that?
But I expect they might have something to say if the old ones are inaccurate.
Robert

I would be interested to hear how they actually go about it. For instance, are they lugging a set of standard weights around from room to room? How accurate are those test weights (traceable to what)? Or do they do as I have done in the past, and use a measured amount of water (in plastic containers)? What level of accuracy do they allow? Whose inventory list are they following? Do they expect help from in-house staff? How do they avoid disruption to the normal hospital routine? ... etc.

... also, who pays? More tax-payers' money well spent?

It was our understanding from reading link Graham provided (good link - cheers for that ) that scales involved in drug calculations (SCBU / Paeds and Oncology) would be the subject of the most rigorous checks.

I'd also be interested in hearing how the checks are carried out from anybody who has had a visit.

Makes me wonder where it's all heading. What's next, government spot-checks of electrical safety (not such a bad idea, perhaps)?

How about spot-checks of equipment condition, or even calibration? That would put the wind up more than a few biomed sheds, I'm sure!