EBME Forums Forums Management Medical Equipment Management PPQ or no PPQ

Every item of technical medical equipment needs servicing. The piece of kit in question sounds a bit of a lash-up to me, so I would be even more wary than usual!

We all understand the issues, Clare, believe me. It's the vendor who has to make justifications, not you. They do not have the right to force their equipment onto your hospital, or anyone else's.

See Rojo's response a couple of posts up! QED.

PS: I know what I would do (but this is a public forum).

After the closure of the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency in 2010, is the PPQ form still in use by anyone?

Hello Bushmen

The PPQ form is used by this department regularly and for every prospective medical device purchase. No doubt it used by others eleswhere, at all times. Perhaps in different formats to suit.


Jim

The PPQ form is still in use it is just handled by a private company on behalf of the NHS now.
I have previously posted a link to the website where the forms are plus the list of companies on master indemnity etc.
And, of course, I cannot remember the site or the company.
Robert

PPQ is a good place to start, was it CE marked?

The link to the Master Indemnity Register is http://nhsmia.bipsolutions.com/register.php and the standard forms are here http://nhsmia.bipsolutions.com/index.php

They are both current. In our Trust, we have added a box at the bottom of the standard delivery note so that we can make the Supplier sign to say whether the equipment will be due servicing during the loan period, so that they have to say they will service it when it falls due.

I always write the indemnity expiry date on the delivery note so that we can chase it up if necessary.

CE marks are another issue. American companies do not always seem to be getting these validations or understand that they are essential to trade in the UK/NHS, and some companies are creating equipment systems from things that already have a CE mark in their own right, but might not be CE marked in the final configuration. It is a complete minefield!

Oh yes I remember now. Thanks Clare

I have even come across a US company saying that something was not a medical device to get around CE marking - but we thought it was but agreed it was borderline.
So we asked the MHRA about this and their attitude was that if it was not declared to be a medical device it was not one. But it was our Trusts risk if we used it.

Robert

Just a bit on CE marking. ALL items sold in the EU either medical or not should have a CE mark Doesn't matter if it's a 747 or a paper cup!