EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management The future of ebme

As long as things carry on as they are, I see the future of EBME being compromised by being unable to attract young blood. At almost every NHS biomed shed I know, the guys work under tension, under constant pressure from the conflicting requirements of carrying out quality work without enough time in which to do it! Put simply, guys are over-worked, and it is hardly any wonder that many good blokes have moved elsewhere. Including, of course, some of the younger ones who are still excited by the prospect of becoming a company service engineer (complete with a car, and all the rest).

This time pressure also manifests itself when a new hire is taken on, especially if it is a youngster who needs a fair amount of mentoring.

Why is it that biomeds are always under such pressure? Contrast this with the "typical" Estates department, where the guys are always (it seems to me) pretty relaxed in the way they go about things. And why not?

I cannot think of a single biomed department that could be described as "over-manned". But this is exactly what is required ... a bit of "slack", to be able to draw breath, catch up with the million little jobs that need to be done, allow everyone to take their full entitlement of days off, some time to plan, to improve the department, to attend training courses, and all the rest.

Don't you think that more people will be looking to take roles within the public sector now that there is so much uncertainty in the private sector? You never know we might get to Geoff's scenario of having over-manned departments sooner than we think.

"You never know we might get to Geoff's scenario of having over-manned departments sooner than we think."


I'm sure that I've seen a 'jokes' section somewhere for this sort of post........

I think that although there is growth in medical technology - it is also becoming less maintainable with longer service periods. It may just balance out.

With regards to John's previous comment about whether most medical devices could be maintenance free - it's already happening here with one device.

Not sure what happens elsewhere, but our Trust uses the Paradigm infusion pump in certain cases for insulin delivery. Had lots of issues with the rep from Medtronics when she told us that the device did not need 'looking at' by Ebme departments for four years as it was maintenance free. At that stage it could then be sent back to the company for replacement. Hmmm.

Wow, Thats quite worrying Mike. Pumps are our bread and butter. It will be interesting to hear if they are truly maintenance free....

What happens when the nurses break the actuator or lose the battery cover? Will Medtronic stand up in court and say that their pump was safe even if it has been in use for nearly 4 years and never been tested?

We have a Pulsion Picco monitor which doesnt require servicing.
Because this is so out of the ordinary, i am not realy sure what to do with this information...it kind of goes against the grain.

How can companies justify this?
How can companies assure the end users of its accuracy and safety a couple of years down the line when used frequently?

I am genuinely curious and interested in opinions and your thoughts.

It makes me feel somewhat uneasy, and i am not sure that i would have made the decision to purchase this equipment with the knowledge that it would not be regularly checked.
Unfortunately it was purchased before my time.
Thoughts?

Hello Quinny,

I think that if the company say it does not require a preventive maintenance inspection, then don't inspect it.

If something goes wrong - monitors are most likely to fail safe. i.e. they do not deliver a therapy - so they carry much lower risk than a thrapeutic device.

In my humble opinion, anyone who suggests that an item of in-service electromedical equipment doesn't need to be "looked at" by biomed for at least four years is talking out of his/her ****! Not only that, but surely such a sloppy approach to the concept of "duty of care" would be, in fact, indefensible in law?


Says who ... the sales rep? What do your biomeds say, Quinny? If you have doubts, why not raise a Work Order whenever you think it needs checking out? I seem to recall that (at one place I know) these things were returned to the manufacturer when they got dropped. OK, but what about electrical safety checks?