EBME Forums Forums Maintenance Spare Parts Spare parts rip off!

Try and prove it? I'll be down the road before they are.
As for FD has anyone seen Mr. Morgan recently?

It's not your business to prove anything. That's the job of the investigators.

Grounds for suspicion are all that's required. We're talking about Public Funds here, not some back street emporium.

Perhaps I need to call by and take a nose around. Wearing one of my many disguises, of course!

Whistle Blower?

Now, much I would hate to take the view from the "dark side" (the OEMs), I have worked in that arena, worse still, as a salesman. One thing that needs to be kept in mind here is that, someone, ie the end user, has to pay for all the R+D, testing, etc before a product can be brought to use. This is not cheap, infact it is VERY expencive. How many years do you think it takes to develop and test a new medical device before it can be released to the market?..... years and millions of $$$$$$$ in some cases.

So, before you roundly condemn the OEMs (though there is no doubt that there are ripoff's) just because you could buy a screen for a monitor for 10% of what is asked, or a "trim knob" from RS instead of GE, ask yourself, how would this impact on future product research/development?

I share your iritation with the cost parts in our environment but the costs of development/research need to be funded from somewhere and, sadly, sometimes, the customer/public/tax payer is the one who has to pay.

Qui s'excuse, s'accuse.

A gouge is still a gouge, however you want to dress it up. And we're talking here about the price of spares, not complete equipment!

And ... if you're going to start calling OEM's the Dark Side ... well, where I'm sitting must be the Twilight Zone, then!

Yes, it takes a lot of time and resources to bring new medical equipment to market. Especially jumping through all the regulatory and type-testing hoops. So my question here is:- why do "they" keep introducing "new" kit to the market? Why do we see "new" ECG recorders, infusion pumps, CTG's et al every 18 months or so? Are they really any better than the previous iteration? Answer:- no (in fact, they are often worse)!

But here's a parting thought ... how much did it cost to develop the iPod? And how much does it retail for?

Careful Geoff, the ipod sells in the millions so the R&D costs per unit are relatively small. Medical equipment may sell in the hundreds if they are lucky. But the costs should be reflected in the product price rather than the spare parts. My issue is why should we have to buy a complete assembly when all we need is one part of it? I have just recieved the part that sparked my ire originally. I have got essentially half a monitor preassembled, apart from the labels. Why can't I just get the LCD display and fit it into the existing front case myself? Other than ripping us off it is a complete waste of resources, not exactly eco-friendly is it?

Yes. Agreed. The kit has been paid for once, so why the continuation of the gouge? Answer:- greed, pure and simple.


Indeed!

Who was it who once mumbled "Seek, and Ye Shall Find"?

OK ... it takes a bit of time. And therein lies another issue. That is, "Time is money" and all that stuff. In other words, where (in the NHS, that is) is the incentive to "make do, and mend"?

And another thing! Why do they send seventeen (yes 17) labels when I only need one. I can undestand why they might send 1 sheet of labels but I've got front panel overlays in English, German, French, Swedish, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Japanese, Portugese, Russian, Chinese, Hungarian, Polish, Czech and Greek. Any offers, apart from the English one of course!

Because they knew you were in South Yorkshire, of course! Obvious, ennit?

But are you saying that you missed the Referendum on whether we wanted a Multicultural Society, then, Bill?

And anyway ... what about Arabic, Sanskrit, Swahili, Urdu ... Vietnamese ... and all the rest (or, for that matter, Gaelic or Welsh)?

The next time I'm in Whitechapel (which may be ... er, never), I'll take a photo of the main directory board outside the Royal London Hospital. That should give you the idea. It even includes English on there (somewhere near the bottom, if I remember rightly).

Unfortunately there is only room for one label on the device. I think I'll make a collage of all the other labels and tie it onto the monitor.
I am aware of our multicultural society, being an expat Scot living in England. Can't get a deep fried Mars bar anywhere, or Macaroon bars for that matter.

You need to be careful there, Bill ... or else they'll be looking for such a tome hanging from every piece of kit.

I think I may have remarked before about the restlessness* of the human soul. It all depends what a person is looking for, I suppose. I'm thinking of moving on up to Scotland, myself. It kind of feels like my last hope.

On the other hand, I'm come to have a strong belief that folk should not turn away from their own roots (country, culture), but rather stay (or return) there and help to make it a better place. Just an idea (and part of the reason I returned to England after many years away).

But, back to expensive parts. Yes, we understand the possible reasons for an OEM providing assemblies, rather than individual parts, and indeed they may be valid ones. But I still see nothing wrong with "non-OEM" parts being used if local policies (and time, resources etc.) allow. And (as we know) with older kit, that is often the only option.

These days, my own (sometimes infrequent) dabbling in equipment repairs has to be done literally as cheaply as possible (that is, zero cost in most cases), so I always bridle when I see or hear of gouges for what are often "generic" parts, or repairs that could have been carried out for a fraction of the cost.

* Five s's there!