Endoscope reprocessing
patient safety or instrument quality. (The benefits are outlined in Table 2.)
How the On-Demand service works A hospital requests a loan endoscope to supplement its fleet or replace a malfunctioning device. The endoscope arrives ready for immediate use. After use, the endoscope is returned to the central facility, where it undergoes validated sterilisation before being redeployed. A diagram of the process can be viewed in Figure 1.
Logistics and implementation Seamless integration with hospital workflows is ensured through a streamlined supply chain for timely delivery and retrieval of loan endoscopes. The model integrates easily into existing hospital workflows, with dedicated logistics partners facilitating rapid dispatch and controlled- environment delivery, endoscope tracking, and centralised sterilisation and quality control. This approach allows healthcare facilities –
especially regional and remote hospitals – to access high-quality, microbiologically tested endoscopes without the need for on-site reprocessing of loan endoscopes.
Current hospital implementation and future expansion The On-Demand service is operational in Australia, serving all hospitals performing endoscopy procedures. Future developments of this model include expanding the geographic reach across regional and rural areas in Australia. This model will provide the option for hospitals
to use the On-Demand fleet as a replacement for costly capital works required for the provision of reprocessing facilities on site and the significant cost of the purchase of a fleet of endoscopes. There is also a foreseeable expansion for this
model to be used by global hospital networks to provide sustainable, cost-effective endoscope supply solutions. The integration of these endoscopes into a service’s fleet management system will allow demand prediction and optimisation of endoscope allocation. The use of the service will provide significant benefit for replacing low use or specialised endoscopes, allowing sites to obtain the specific equipment when it is required and avoiding the need to purchase such instruments into their own fleet.
By combining logistical efficiency with clinical
safety, the On-Demand service ensures that hospitals always have sterile, patient-ready endoscopes.
Figure 1: The Process Benefit Immediate Access Regulatory Compliance Impact
Ensures hospitals can supplement fleets or replace faulty equipment without delays.
Provides pre-sterilised, microbiologically tested endoscopes, eliminating the need for microbiological testing until the scheduled interval for the endoscope type.
Operational Efficiency Extended Storage Environmental Impact
Frees staff from urgent reprocessing of the loan endoscope, allowing immediate use upon receipt of the endoscope.
Endoscopes can be stored for up to 18 months, ensuring a backup supply is always available.
Hospitals reduce water, chemical, and energy usage associated with the reprocessing of loan endoscopes on delivery.
Table 2: Key benefits of the On-Demand service Factor Compliance Traditional Reprocessing
Requires microbiological testing within 72 hours
Carbon Footprint Cost
Instrument Availability
Workload Impact
High (water, chemicals, energy)
High (labour, training, testing)
Limited by reprocessing delays
High (staff manage reprocessing)
Minimal Table 3: Comparative analysis of endoscope supply models April 2025 I
www.clinicalservicesjournal.com 71 Minimal
Single-Use Endoscopes
Fully compliant On-Demand
(Loan Scopes) Fully compliant
(pre-sterilised and microbiologically tested)
Very high (plastic waste and disposal)
Very high (recurring purchase costs)
Always available Lower (multiple
endoscopes per sterilisation load)
Cost-effective (loan model)
Always available
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