EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management PPQ or no PPQ

I had a PM from one of our members saying that a neighbouring Trust is not using PPQ's. In fact they have said there is no need to because of CE marking in Europe. Is this a sentiment anyone agrees with? I certainly think its odd.

"Odd"? Well, that's one way of putting it, I suppose, John. It never ceases to amaze me how these Trusts get away with "doing their own thing" (as in, laws unto themselves). Probably a "new broom" in there somewhere, I should imagine. A "bright young thing" trying to impress the powers that be, perhaps? Don't worry, s/he will have moved on by this time next year!

Hi John & well said Geoff

Totally ridiculous, some Trust that must be: question 5 consisting of six sub-questions.
Question 6 regarding training. Question 7 - contract maintenance and non-contract details, etc, etc.

Spare parts availability, decontamination, warranty, etc, etc.
As I have said many a time, the PPQ form in the right hands is a fantastic management tool, in the wrong hands it is not.

Also very useful when Procurement, Consultant, a manager are looking for a reason not to buy a particular product or deal with a certain company. Poor replies, they don't get the order, simple as that.

What I do find poor is the idea that the PPQ does not get issued, goes with the order, after the order or goes into the draw without being properly assessed. Should be managed solely by the EBME Department. Sadly, I am told it is the responsibility of Procurement in some hospitals.

Jim

We find that Question 10a "For how many years from the date of last manufacture is the supply of spare parts guaranteed?" very handy when companies tell us that relatively new equipment is now obsolete.

Lee

Yes Jim,

Agree with everything you and Lee said. Have you seen anything written down saying the NHS must use ppq's?

Lee
Very useful indeed, though you must ask the question as to supply of consumables in addition to spare parts. A recent issue had a supplier state "we can provide spare parts but we are not obliged to provide consumables"! Because the wording on the PPQ is specific they were correct

Max
Did you manage to over come the problem?

If you didn't would you like to name and shame the supplier?

Lee

I think that company is ridiculous Max.
Are you sure that a consumable cannot be covered under the ppq term 'spare part'? I would argue that it is.

After all, a filter is a consumable, and yet they appear in the spare parts list.

CE marking only indicates that a device has achieved a basic level of safety, whereas a Properly completed also asks a lot of other questions that are additional to CE marking. So if you only rely on CE marking, be prepared to have a large hole in your foot later down the line.

Once upon a time you could download a blank PPQ form from the NHS PASA website, think the latest version was 2007 - can anyone find it? Apparently most at PASA don't know what PPQ stands for! Very worrying as it's the Supplies organisation's own form!

Brian