Endoscopy
for what they need and they can increase or decrease the number of procedures performed as required; ergo – the number of scopes procured.
What is more, because each endoscope is only used once, there is no degradation in performance – a phenomenon recognised in older scopes in the fleet, so respective concerns about the associated costs and downtime for the repair of these scopes is removed.
Sustainable healthcare Climate change poses a major threat to our health as well as our planet. The environment is changing, that change is accelerating, and this has direct and immediate consequences for patients, the public and the NHS. The health service has a vital role to play in reducing carbon emissions. The health service contributes around 4-5% of total UK carbon emissions and the NHS in England alone is responsible for 40% of the public sector’s emissions.8
Carbon reduction is essential
to avoid climate change becoming the ‘next healthcare crisis’. HCPs themselves have expressed an interest
in playing their part in reducing the healthcare’s carbon footprint. HCPs have also expressed that they shoulder a direct responsibility in selecting and using sustainable products to help the NHS achieve its Net Zero goal by 2040. Providing scalable, cost-effective solutions to help clinicians address their environmental concerns is essential to help boost morale in an already stressed workforce and allow clinicians to align with their own personal and social moral obligations in the workplace.9 The large volume of disposable equipment and hazardous chemicals and detergents used for reprocessing one reusable endoscope, and the associated environmental footprint, can be surprising for many, and very often is not the consideration of the clinician when making
a choice between reusable and single-use endoscopes.10
Preliminary tests have already shown good Additionally, frequent PPE changes
are crucial during the reprocessing stage to remove harmful contaminants from reusable scopes and prevent cross-contamination. Finally, the incineration of clinical waste generated from processing one reusable scope has high primary energy consumption and subsequently considerable C02
emissions.11
Recycling initiatives Single-use medical technology has received, in some cases, bad reviews – which has led to an automatic assumption that single-use items are wasteful and harmful to the environment. However, there are efforts to overcome this view. Recycling pilot projects are due to begin this year with Ambu UK. External service providers will collect (non-contaminated) used, single-use scopes from hospitals for processing, where specialist sorting machines will strip back devices to raw materials.
results indicating most of the single-use device’s weight could be recycled to be used in areas such as building trades, joinery and retail sectors. The metal can be smelted down and fed back into manufacturing cycles too, embracing a more circular product lifecycle.
Dispelling the single-use endoscope myth Millions of endoscopic procedures are performed each year across the UK in different specialties and settings. As it stands, most of these procedures are conducted using reusable endoscopes, even given the challenges outlined in this article. The ability to use single-use scopes on a
per-procedure basis allows for scalability without the need for additional investment in reusable equipment. Advances in technology have improved the quality of single-use endoscopes, making them comparable to their reusable counterparts in terms of imaging and functionality. The Ambu system even houses the capability to connect with hospital PACS systems – strengthening the case further for workflow efficiencies. A change in basic assumptions, initiating a
shift from reusable to single-use endoscopes, can be propelled by a confluence of factors, including robust evidence. There is a significant body of clinical studies that now support single- use over reusable. Regulatory endorsements, and the imperative to enhance infection control in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic are also contributing factors. As healthcare professionals and institutions navigate this transformative journey, the focus on patient safety, operational efficiency, and a commitment
August 2024 I
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