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The IMechE has said the appointment of chief biomedical engineers in NHS trusts could help save the National Health Service millions of pounds, as part of a new campaign to raise awareness of engineers working in the healthcare sector.
According to research conducted by the institution, there are thousands of engineers and technicians working within the NHS, but there is inconsistency regarding their exact roles and departments, plus a lack of high-level managerial representation. The lack of proper recognition of biomedical engineering in trusts means benefits and cost savings are not being fully realised.
Dr Helen Meese, who is leading the healthcare theme at the IMechE, said: “We want to clarify what these engineers and technicians do and how they could better support the NHS.
“A chief biomedical engineer in each acute NHS trust would be able to encourage best practice and ensure equipment is procured efficiently across the organisation, making the right selection of equipment and maintenance, ensuring that patient safety and clinical efficacy are maximised.
“Little has been done to identify the efficiency savings that could be made in this way, but we believe it would be at least in the millions. We are doing work to investigate this.”
The NHS had a budget allocation of £113 billion last year and spent more than
£500 million on procurement of equipment. It has been tasked by the government to find
£22 billion of efficiency savings by 2021.
Meese said that the healthcare sector could learn lessons from other industries, adopting best working practices from areas such as project and asset management, and by taking a systems approach to medical issues.
The IMechE’s healthcare campaign is being launched this month and aims to raise awareness of engineering’s contribution to healthcare within the medical profession, government and the NHS and the engineering community more generally. As well as primary care, it will also cover social care, added Meese.
“From the moment you step through the door of a hospital you are surrounded by machines and devices, from simple syringes to life-support machines in intensive care units.
“But healthcare isn’t just something that happens inside a hospital. Social care and making sure we have the technology to enable people to live a fulfilling life is just as important. That ranges from new technologies for monitoring diabetes to developing autonomous robotic solutions that help people get out of bed or use the toilet. Healthcare affects all, from cradle to grave.”