25.07.2014
Its study found that 13,642 incidents were reported to regulators involving medical devices that were not working correctly. In 309 of these incidents, the fault led to the death of a patient, while around 5,000 others suffered serious harm.
A tenth of the incidents reported related to an orthopaedic implant such as a hip replacement, while other machinery was found to be leaking, cracked, smoking, or had caught fire in more than one in ten cases. Three per cent of reports made to the regulator referenced faulty scanning equipment or radiotherapy machinery.
A third of the reported problems resulted in an investigation by the manufacturer of the device in question, but fewer than 10 per cent of incidents prompted an inquiry from the regulator.
The IME also stated that faulty or missing medical equipment means that thousands of operations are cancelled every year. Engineers at the Institution have called for the NHS to take urgent action to improve equipment quality, particularly as the role of technology within patient care is growing all the time.
Dr Patrick Finlay, lead author of the report and Chairman of the IME Biomedical Engineering Association said: “Government and the NHS need to take urgent action to prioritise the role engineers play in hospitals and trusts. Technology is leading to huge advances in healthcare, but this technology is dependent on the work of biomedical engineers who are inadequately recognised and in short supply in most hospitals.”
He added that the people who design, manufacture and maintain the equipment used in healthcare must be heard if the technological benefits of the latest medical equipment are to reach patients.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has urged that all incidents of faulty medical machinery be reported correctly, as they are reviewed and analysed for learning and can lead to vital safety information being distributed to medical professionals.
Thousands Of Patients Have Been Victims Of Faulty Devices
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ (IME) has claimed faulty medical equipment in use within the NHS is to blame for hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries.Its study found that 13,642 incidents were reported to regulators involving medical devices that were not working correctly. In 309 of these incidents, the fault led to the death of a patient, while around 5,000 others suffered serious harm.
A tenth of the incidents reported related to an orthopaedic implant such as a hip replacement, while other machinery was found to be leaking, cracked, smoking, or had caught fire in more than one in ten cases. Three per cent of reports made to the regulator referenced faulty scanning equipment or radiotherapy machinery.
A third of the reported problems resulted in an investigation by the manufacturer of the device in question, but fewer than 10 per cent of incidents prompted an inquiry from the regulator.
The IME also stated that faulty or missing medical equipment means that thousands of operations are cancelled every year. Engineers at the Institution have called for the NHS to take urgent action to improve equipment quality, particularly as the role of technology within patient care is growing all the time.
Dr Patrick Finlay, lead author of the report and Chairman of the IME Biomedical Engineering Association said: “Government and the NHS need to take urgent action to prioritise the role engineers play in hospitals and trusts. Technology is leading to huge advances in healthcare, but this technology is dependent on the work of biomedical engineers who are inadequately recognised and in short supply in most hospitals.”
He added that the people who design, manufacture and maintain the equipment used in healthcare must be heard if the technological benefits of the latest medical equipment are to reach patients.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has urged that all incidents of faulty medical machinery be reported correctly, as they are reviewed and analysed for learning and can lead to vital safety information being distributed to medical professionals.
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