TECHNOLOGY
“Super centres such as the Royal Free, which Getinge helped to develop, have the footprint to be able to operate with safe distancing between staff. By outsourcing reprocessing you also outsource the risk, which will appeal to some Trusts. Others will want to have full control over their reprocessing onsite. However, the move to integrated care systems is also likely to drive a trend towards consolidation of decontamination facilities in the future. “As we see more joined up thinking, these integrated care networks are likely to evaluate whether they need several decontamination facilities, and this will lead to streamlining and efficiencies. This is likely to accelerate the trend towards larger centres. If you can identify an area off site that isn’t expensive to build on, it can be more cost effective to reprocess large volumes in a facility that is fit for purpose, rather than using lots of small facilities, ‘crammed’ into corners. Ultimately, this could free up extra space for theatres or endoscopy suites to help with additional capacity,” Tim commented.
Efficiency gains
While building extra capacity through investment in new facilities and equipment may provide some of the answers, Trusts will also need to improve efficiency of their processes and ensure they manage the increased workloads safely and effectively. As Getinge has a global reach, it is able to share best practice from around the world. The company works closely to build partnerships and help Trusts to understand “what efficient working looks like”, through consultancy services. “The more you understand your partner, the better the solutions that you deliver because you can address the needs of the end user. This has been an important transition for us as an
We are using T-DOC to track a number of autonomous vehicles. These transport the sets from the washer to the table and from the table to the steriliser – removing the manual handling element. People no longer have to lift heavy sets around and can remain stationary, which means greater efficiencies from a time and motion perspective.
organisation,” Tim explained. “We can share new ways of thinking to
help Trusts achieve their goals quicker and find ways to reduce their waiting lists. For example, we can model the impact on their waiting list of adding two endoscopy rooms, as well as analysing how quickly they could
reduce the backlog and predicting the end result of adjustments to their processes. This modelling can even measure return on investment by factoring in payment by results and tariffs, as well as calculating cash flows, depending on whether or not they are on a block contract,” commented Tim. As the sector returns to a new normal, providing education on compliance with standards such as HTM 01-06, will also be an ongoing requirement. “As part of our consultancy services, Getinge can help departments understand how they can do ‘more for less’ and remain compliant with guidance and directives, as well as understanding the risks. Ultimately, it is important to place the patient at the centre and enable Trusts to make informed decisions that keep staff and patient safe,” he continued. Technology will also be vital to ensure high standards are maintained, despite the increased pressures in decontamination departments. With T-DOC software, for example, units can achieve full traceability of instruments, endoscopes, pre-sterile and non-sterile goods to ensure regulatory compliance and high levels of quality assurance. By ensuring each important step in the reprocessing cycle is monitored and
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