EBME Forums Forums Management Equipment Libraries Equipment loan rules

Hi all,

Do some of you loan equipment on a named patient use only policy i.e. when that patient has finished with it, it's returned to the Library? If so, how do you police it?

Our Library's policy was meant to work this way, but it never has.

We are a >700 bed DGH. We have one library co-ordinator(does the rounds) and one part-time mattress repair guy. Oh, and me, tech guy - now with the additional title of Equipment Library Supervisor...

Cheers
Mark

Hi Mark,

I try to interpret your statement. Your hospital currently has a policy of loaning an equipment cater specifically to a patient and after the session is over it is then returned to the equipment library. How is it that it is not working this way (it goes from one patient to another or something else?)

We don't have this policy except where those not belonging to the hospital we catered them under a loan policy and this policy has a defined period of 3 months and thereafter it will be returned to the vendor with the biomed department informed. It could be an equipment that was needed to fill in the gap or shortage and it could be an equipment meant for trial.

Congratulations on your "promotion", Mark.

It's simple. When the named patient collects (or is issued) the kit, s/he leaves a deposit (that is, an amount of money) that gets returned when the kit is returned in good condition.

Hello Roger,

At the moment, we loan equipment when required but we do not record the patient details. The equipment doesn't necessarily get returned to the Library when it is no longer required for the original patient.

Once equipment has left our Library, it goes in to a big black hole - our co-ordinator then has to to go out and ferret about to try and it. Not best use of his/our time.

If possible, we would like to adopt a system where our equipment is returned after each patient use. This may require us to purchase additional equipment and/or increase our staffing levels.

We may ask for patient hospital numbers to allocate equipment to. We can get access to patient details which would let us track patient movements and our equipment(if stays with the patient).

Cheers

Now that you have a new Equipment Library Supervisor ... surely matters can only improve?

PS: perhaps you should have made the trip up to Blackpool (as you might have picked up a few good tips there)!

Hi Geoff,

Thanks. I'm nice and shiney... at the moment.

Cheers
Mark

Hi Mark,

I like Geoff's suggestion that a deposit be placed each time the kit is on loan and patients get the refund when they return the kit. Therefore there is no need to think of additional resource to track them down.

Can you issue them to the ward staff and hold them accountable for the quantity and the return of the kits?

In respose to Geoff's deposit idea what happened to the NHS ethos of free treatment at the point of care?
Mark, surely if you are lending equipment out the borrower should sign for it. You need to keep a record of who has what equipment. I assume that you keep an inventory of all of your equipment. You could reallocate the equipment to whoever borrows it. Also it would be useful to give the borrower a receipt stating the conditions of the loan, length of loan, what to do when they are finished with the kit etc.
We are in the process of putting a case forward for an equipment library but the figures are a bit on the high side and it is proving hard to justify the expense.

I really like to know what is the benefits and cost saving that could be derived from equipment library. Probably John could share with us after the Blackpool forum.

I agree with all that you say, Bill. Surely "signing for kit" should be taken as read!

Free at the point of care ... indeed yes, but that doesn't mean we need tolerate abuse of the taxpayers' generosity!