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A case for the front line staff
The Cardiothoracic Centre in Liverpool
Having experienced staff choose new hospital equipment is in everyone's interests. Here's an example from Liverpool, England.
When the Cardiothoracic Centre (CTC) - NHS Trust in Liverpool, England, was planning and preparing a large new state-of-the-art critical care facility, the management of this busy tertiary hospital gave front line staff the job of finding the right pendant. This task was given to a team of four senior ICU personnel; Critical Care Unit Manager Janice Threlfall, Senior Nurse Manager and Matron of Critical Care Victoria Cleary, Critical Care Senior Technician John Troy and Critical Care Charge Nurse Andrew Robinson.
From past experience and the set-up of their old unit, which had a wall-mounted system, the staff team had clear ideas of what was required for a new unit. A wall-mounted system has many disadvantages including poor access to the patient's head, difficulty with monitoring and IV access, and an unsafe environment due to trailing leads and cables. Any new pendant system needed to be as ‘future proof' as the facility itself, adapting to new demands when they arise.
After researching the market for available pendants, the team visited other facilities across the UK to gather ideas and information. "We ploughed through catalogues and looked at other clinics," reports Critical Care Manager Janice Threlfall. "TRUMPF was shortlisted because we liked what their ceiling-mounted pendants offered at first glance. The almost 360-degree swivel arms promised good manoeuvrability, easy operation and safe cable storage." The team therefore ordered a prototype system in order to work out the exact requirements for their unit - because TRUMPF manufactures every pendant according to individual customer needs.
The staff team also visited hospitals that had already installed TRUMPF pendants; including a hospital in Edinburgh, Scotland, with 153 pendant systems, and the New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, England, with 36 pendant systems. The project manager for medical technology in Wolverhampton, Kam Kapoor stated "not only are TRUMPF's pendants very good, but so is their overall customer service".
In order to be certain, the team nonetheless made detailed comparisons between the TRUMPF solutions and products from other manufacturers. "In one hospital, we saw mounting systems in which the pendant was attached to a ceiling rail and could be moved laterally", reports senior critical care technician John Troy. "But that was not flexible enough for us, as the movement radius and patient access were not ideal." He also felt TRUMPF offered better solutions in terms of safety, and was most impressed by the manufacturer's mobile extension for the pendant: the IMEC (Interdisciplinary Medical Equipment Carrier) transport unit.
"This ‘pendant on wheels' looked as if it could solve all our patient transport problems in one go", explains Troy. Despite this, the staff team wanted to compare the IMEC with other possible alternatives. However, comparable systems could not be located. "There was only one other system found, but on closer inspection it was deemed too big and awkward to manoeuvre - and had poor safety features, too," explains Janice Threlfall. "The IMEC requires only one person to transfer the entire power supply unit from the ceiling pendant to the mobile unit in just a few easy steps. This then docks firmly on the bed - and off you go." That was the deciding factor: the CTC had found its new ceiling pendant, complete with a safe and sure transport unit.
The next phase was to order 40 new pendants plus two IMEC units which duly arrived in Liverpool. There were in total 21 tandem systems and 19 single systems with all the requested interfaces, functions, and platforms. "Without the flexibility of the pendant, the entire room concept for the new ICU would never have turned out as well," says Janice Threlfall. "We wanted to gain improved overall space and a safer environment for staff and patients and these pendants have created just that. The fact that the pendant can be moved out of sight means the patient can enjoy an uninterrupted view from the hospital windows."
And how did the IMEC's "debut" turn out in Liverpool? "Our colleagues liked the new solutions right away," reports Victoria Cleary. "Many could not believe how easy it was to transfer the equipment until they tried it themselves." The Consultant Anaesthetist and Intensivist Dr Keith Mills and the Clinical Education Co-ordinator Neville Rumsby will no longer do a transport without an IMEC. "Two nurses are now enough to safely transport the patient and the medical equipment. Gone are the days that equipment had to be carried or transported, cables and all, on the bed. The IMEC helps us satisfy our responsibilities with respect to patient safety, care of expensive equipment and also our own health."
At the recommendation of the ICU staff - who have been using the TRUMPF pendants for two years now - the hospital's Surgical Department has also had eight pendants installed. In addition, more and more equipment fitters from other hospitals come to Liverpool to obtain first-hand information about the systems. The result is that the Royal Devon and the Exeter Hospital in County Devon now also use mounting pendants from Puchheim, Germany. St. Barts and the Royal London Hospital have also ordered 300 pendants, while other hospitals around the country have already expressed interest. The Liverpool expert team has not regretted its decision: "We are still happy with the solution, and that is important, because an investment like this should last for at least 15 to 20 years." And so, there are many good reasons for hospitals to get experienced, front line personnel involved at an early stage when considering new equipment. That's because, as our example shows, it is in their own interest to find the best and safest solution.
The Cardiothoracic Centre - Liverpool NHS Trust (CTC) is one of the largest heart and lung hospitals in Great Britain.
The Hospital delivers care with a strong emphasis on key quality indicators, has 220 beds and employs more than 1,300 staff. With 40 beds, its critical care complex is one of the largest in Europe.
