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October 2013 Edition 277TRANSCRIPT
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2 THE OPERATING THEATRE JOURNAL www.otjonline.com
ELLIQUENCE EUROPE PARTNERS WITH HUGO TECHNOLOGYUK-based Hugo Technology has been appointed by US-based Elliquence to service a highly specialised radio-frequency product to perform minimally invasive surgery.
Hugo Technology, the leading medical technology repair and service specialist has been asked to take on responsibility for repair and maintenance of the Surgi-Max® Plus – a device that emits high frequency/low temperature radiowaves used during open, endoscopic and laparoscopic procedures. The cell-speci c tissue effect affords unparalleled surgical precision, versatility and safety while minimising tissue trauma.
Elliquence - a medical manufacturer and distributor of healthcare machines, delivering innovative devices in the elds of neurosurgery, endoscopic spine, orthopedic and pain management – has signed an initial one-year contract with Hugo.
The machine will be transported and serviced at Hugo’s new £700,000 facility, designed speci cally to match the needs of Hugo’s growing client base of leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).
New C-arm helps to reduce waiting times at Nuf eld Health Leeds HospitalNuf eld Health Leeds Hospital, part of the Nuf eld Health group, has increased productivity within intraoperative imaging following the installation of an ARCADIS® Varic C-arm from Siemens Healthcare. The system is helping staff to improve the work ow of spinal and neurological surgery procedures with its rapid screening times and versatile applications. The private hospital initially trialed the Varic, after which it was permanently selected for its excellent image quality including 1024k x 1024k digital high resolution and high contrast imaging capabilities. The system automatically transfers 2D images in high resolution for surgical navigation and is well suited for advanced acquisition, viewing and archiving. The Varic also offers clinicians the ability to load images from other modalities such as CT or MRI and visualise them directly on-screen.
The systems mobile C-arm is counterbalanced removing the need for it to be locked into place, enhancing ease of use for clinicians and providing easy patient access. The systems compact and lightweight trolley also features large 19 dual TFT monitors for high-quality image visualisation. This is boosted further by the Varics syngo user interface, enabling fast and intuitive system operation, image post-processing and networking. Additionally, it includes dose reduction features including an integrated laser light localiser, dose free collimation and multi-level dose control.
Thanks to the ARCADIS Varic from Siemens Healthcare we have been able to cut waiting times to provide an even faster and more ef cient service to our patients, states Jayne Pears, Radiology Team Lead at Nuf eld Health Leeds Hospital. Staff have already commented on the systems versatility, with its range of applications making it suitable for a various number of procedures.
Nuf eld Leeds makes the utmost effort to provide patients with the best service and technology available. We are delighted the hospital has increased productivity with the ARCADIS Varic, comments Phillip Tesh, Regional Sales Manager at Siemens Healthcare. The system has further enhanced the hospitals state-of-the-art facilities, which includes a number of other Siemens systems located in the Angiography Suite.
Nuf eld Health Woking Hospital is another Nuf eld Health site to have recently bene ted from a C-arm system from Siemens Healthcare. The SIREMOBIL Compact L for intraoperative imaging can support a variety of surgical applications including orthopaedics, trauma and vascular in a compact and ergonomic design. The system accelerates work ow with its easy-to-use design and simple positioning features. The Compact also provides high-quality imaging with its mu-metal shielded 23cm image intensi er which offers high brightness and high contrast at a low dose.
For further information: Siemens plcLaura Bennett, phone: 01276 696374 E-mail: [email protected] us on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/siemensuknews
Nuf eld Health Leeds Hospital hopes to reduce waiting times following the installation of an ARCADIS® Varic C-arm from Siemens Healthcare. Pictured left to right: Rebecca Johnson, Senior Radiographer; Jane Pears, Radiology Team lead at Nuf eld Health Leeds Hospital; and Phillip Tesh, Regional Sales Manager at Siemens Healthcare. When responding to articles please quote ‘OTJ’
The Surgi-Max® Plus machine performs traditional scalpel, scissor, electrosurgical tasks and specialised bi-polar assisted procedures.
“Progress in the medtech eld is phenomenal and competition is strong. What makes an OEM stand out amongst its competitors is its commitment to a machine’s lifecycle and how well it is maintained,” says Andrew Parton, joint managing director at Hugo Technology.
“Our role is to ensure that it is always able to perform at peak ef ciency to meet stringent international standards and safeguard Elliquence’s reputation as a leading medtech manufacturer.
“This contract illustrates how Hugo is increasingly serving US healthcare providers and Elliquence is a testament to Hugo’s growing in uence in both the UK and further a eld to provide versatile solutions to outsourcing needs,” adds Andrew.
Alan Ellman, CEO at Elliquence, adds: “Hugo is best-placed to support Surgi-Max® Plus because of its knowledge, professionalism and specialist expertise in ISO 13485 and servicing medical equipment.
“Our equipment is unique in that it enables surgeons to perform delicate precise surgeries on involved tissue while not damaging adjacent cells and tissues. Having the machine working at 100% of its ef ciency is important in achieving the clinical results demanded by surgeons using the product.
We know that Hugo shares our values in providing a world class service through delivering reliable equipment.”
Accredited to ISO 13485 medical device quality management standard and ISO 9001:2008, Hugo’s workshop and eld engineer teams provide support to some of the world’s largest OEMs including: Philips, Nipro, Moog, Nutricia, Therapy Equipment, Cosmed, Nikkiso, Intel-GE and Tele ex.
Further information contact Tom Collett at Hugo Technology T:0844 800 8450 When responding to articles please quote ‘OTJ’
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The next issue copy deadline, Friday 25th October 2013All enquiries: To the editorial team, The OTJ Lawrand Ltd, PO Box 51, Pontyclun, CF72 9YY Tel: 02921 680068 Email: [email protected] Website: www.lawrand.comThe Operating Theatre Journal is published twelve times per year. Available in electronic format from the website, www.otjonline.comand in hard copy to hospitals throughout the United Kingdom. Personal copies are available by nominal subscription.
Neither the Editor or Directors of Lawrand Ltd are in any way responsible for the statements made or views expressed by the contributors. All communications in respect of advertising quotations, obtaining a rate card and supplying all editorial communications and pictures to the Editor at the PO Box address. No part of this journal may be reproduced without prior permission from Lawrand Ltd. © 2013The Operating Theatre Journal is printed on FSC approved papers using biodegradable ink. Any waste from the production of the magazine is recycled.
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NHS pay proposal criticised by health unionsUnions have criticised proposals to halt an increase in NHS pay in England.Rises across the public sector have been capped at 1%, but the Department of Health wants to withhold this increase for its 1.3m staff.
It has told the NHS pay review body the rise is not affordable alongside the current system of small, automatic annual rises.
Rachael Maskell, of the Unite trade union, said staff deserved the pay reward for “holding the NHS together”.
Health trusts are currently under pressure to make savings and the NHS wage bill accounts for around 40% of its budget.
The Department of Health (DoH) proposes using the funding intended for the 1% rise to “modernise” pay structures.
It says these increments - linked to length of service and satisfactory performance - add £700m to salary costs.
However, the DoH stressed that no decisions on changes to pay have been taken, adding that independent bodies would make their recommendations next year.
The plans, which were outlined in the DoH’s submission to two independent pay review bodies, have been criticised by Unite.
Ms Maskell said: “The Department of Health have got other choices. They’re entering into a re-organisation which is costing £3bn, which nobody asked for and isn’t adding anything to patient care. “It is about choices and the NHS staff have already had two years of a pay freeze - 1% last year - and, quite frankly, are really falling behind in ation now with their wages.”
Ms Maskell told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that motivation and morale was down among frontline health workers.
“The reality is that staff do deserve this pay reward because they’re holding the NHS together at this very dif cult time,” she said. However, in its submission to the NHS pay review body, the DoH points to a staff survey suggesting high levels of motivation and morale.
“The government’s view, therefore, remains that basic pay increases should only be implemented if there is strong evidence that recruitment, retention, morale or motivation issues require this,” the department says in its written submission.
‘In ammatory’ plan
The department wants the pay review bodies - which are due to make a recommendation on pay in February or March - to defer the planned 1% pay rise until it has negotiated a move to seven-day working with unions.
But staff representatives have reacted angrily to the plans.
“What they have done is in ammatory,” said Christina McAnea, head of health at Unison and joint chair of the NHS Staff Council.
“They must have known how unions would react. We are not going to negotiate while a gun is held to our head for a paltry 1% pay rise - our members will not react well to that.”
Dr Mark Porter, chairman of the BMA Council added: “We recognise fully the economic constraints the NHS is working under but the continued erosion in the real value of contracts for doctors has now reached a critical point.”
And he told the Guardian newspaper that it was “insulting at best” for the government to “imply that unless NHS staff endure what is effectively another year of pay cuts they will put patient safety at risk”.
‘Affordable’ service
However, a DoH spokeswoman stressed that the proposals would “help protect jobs and improve care”.
She said: “Many NHS staff have continued to receive pay rises of up to 6% and we want to keep working with the trade unions and employers on affordable pay. “The measures we are proposing will help increase quality for patients and help us realise our vision of an affordable seven-day service.”
Setting out the government’s spending plans in June, Chancellor George Osborne said ministers were working to “remove automatic pay rises” for teachers, health professionals, prison and police staff.
The department drew attention to Mr Osborne’s comments and con rmed it wanted NHS pay to have “stronger links to performance, quality and productivity”. Source: BBC News
NHS collaborates on national Agency Nursing FrameworkFour NHS collaborative procurement bodies are working together on the joint procurement of a new national nursing agency framework for the NHS and other public sector organisations.
The four ‘hubs’, NHS Commercial Solutions, NHS North of England Commercial Procurement Collaborative (‘NOE CPC’), East of England NHS Collaborative Procurement Hub and NHS London Procurement Partnership (‘LPP’), have agreed to actively develop a framework agreement that will meet the needs of all four hubs’ NHS member organisations.
The national framework builds on the award-winning London Regional Agency Nursing Framework developed and managed by NHS London Procurement Partnership since May 2010, and due for renewal in May 2014. As Alyson Brett, Chief Executive of NHS Commercial Solutions explains, “Our members need a nursing agency framework which meets their needs. Above all,
trusts need to be con dent that they are employing high quality agency nurses who will provide the best care for patients. This framework – which will include a transparent pricing mechanism, regular auditing of agencies providing NHS staff, and ensure a recruitment process which is fully compliant with UK and EU legislation - will do just that.”
Keith Rowley, NOE CPC Managing Director, adds that working together should be bene cial to the members of our four organisations, whilst also demonstrating good practice for NHS procurement. “Taking LPP’s expertise and using it to develop a complex framework accessible to our members and the broader NHS will give the NHS value for money, avoid duplication, and support the NHS to contain its temporary staf ng costs – something highlighted by Dr Dan Poulter, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Health, in the recent DH publication ......
‘Better Procurement, Better Value, Better Care’.”
Although a national framework, it will consist of four regional lots to allow for differing market conditions in each region, and each lot will be open to the NHS and other public bodies in that particular region. Richard Humble, LPP’s Agency workstream lead, is heading the team developing the framework, which is on schedule for completion by May 2014.
David John, Chief Executive of the East of England hub, is highly supportive of this initiative which marks the rst joint-hub activity. “We’re taking the collaboration we each do in our own organisations to the next level. There is a national need for a t for purpose nursing framework. Developing this will also provide us with a model for future hub collaboration and co-operation. That’s good for us, our members, the NHS and ultimately patients.”
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KARL STORZ – from OR1™, a groundbreaking integrated operating theatre, to OFFICE1, a specialist outpatient gynaecological workspace.When Mr. Richard Penketh, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, put together a team to implement his SHINE 2010 project, no one could have realized just what a success the new gynaecological outpatient facility, incorporating KARL STORZ’s OFFICE1, would be.
The Health Foundation’s annual SHINE programme funds groundbreaking ideas that focus on new, exciting innovations. In simple terms, Mr. Penketh’s proposal was to develop a way to move hysteroscopic gynaecological procedures from theatre to outpatients, streamlining the entire operating process. Local anaesthetic use had already increased, but evaluation identi ed that patients often found it intimidating to be awake in a theatre environment. The move to outpatients allowed the establishment of an operating space that looked more like a consultation room, was smaller, less formal, and required fewer staff. This helped to create a quicker, less nerve-wracking episode for patients, and allowed for better use of staff and space, freeing the main theatre for more major surgery.
Mr. Penketh recognised this need to create an aesthetically pleasing, yet practical, environment and, with the SHINE team working in collaboration with KARL STORZ, the OFFICE1 workspace became a central part of the new initiative. OFFICE1 re ects and complements the strengths and values of its “big brother”, the OR1™ NEO integrated operating theatre, and leads the way into the future of Minimal Access Surgery in an outpatient setting. Although KARL STORZ originally designed the rst OFFICE1 in conjunction with ENT clinicians for an of ce environment, the OFFICE1 at UHW is the rst to be used for gynaecological procedures – a truly exciting development in the company’s history and relationship with the hospital.
OFFICE1 utilises all the features of a full OR1™ NEO, but in a more compact form, suitable for outpatient requirements. It is an ergonomic operative workplace, combining and optimizing space for the indispensable computer workstation with the surgical area and endoscopic equipment. This creates a shortened pathway and makes the whole room more ef cient. It also means the environment is less frightening for patients, so they remain calmer throughout the procedure.The workspace is fully functional, and has integrated picture documentation at the push of a button, so also acts as a patient documentation centre that can be easily integrated into hospital information systems. Real time HD endoscopic images can be played via the various HD monitors positioned around the suite, and watched by the patient and team. Alternatively, with the incorporation of an iPod docking station, during the procedure the patient can watch their own movie on the large wall-mounted 40” HD screen or listen to their own music. From the start of the SHINE 2010 project to the of cial launch of the procedure suite in May 2013, the hospital’s SHINE team and KARL STORZ worked closely every step of the way, driven by a mutual desire to improve, fuelled by creativity and innovation and built on mutual respect and understanding. Since the launch of
the facility, routine waiting times for hysteroscopic resection have more than halved from 26 weeks to 8-12, and cases of suspected cancer are seen within 3-6 weeks. The entire process has been streamlined and costs £651 pounds less* than a day case procedure carried out under a general anaesthetic. Nurse Hysteroscopist and Surgical Assistant Lizzie Bruen says: “Staff morale is very high, and they are now embracing other new developments,” while Senior Staff Nurse Sarah Hill calls it “a dream come true.”
To help other hospitals which want to carry out similar projects, the gynaecology team at UHW has created a study day entitled ‘How to Manage Change from Theatres to Outpatients’. The day covers the entire business plan, nance, logistics, staf ng, procedures and equipment needs. The team can be contacted on [email protected].
*This gure is based on performing an endometrial resection within the UHW SHINE project.Further information KARL STORZ Endoscopy (UK) Ltd Tel: +44 (0)1753 503500 www.karlstorz.com When responding to articles please quote ‘OTJ’
Hopkins Frailty Score is best predictor of postoperative complicationsIntermediately frail or frail patients, as determined by the Hopkins Frailty Score, had more post-op complications.
Some frailty-related predictors of complications may be modi able and optimized before surgery.
Study Rundown: The decision to perform a surgical procedure on a frail patient involves balancing the indications and the risks, as even relatively minor complications can be disastrous in this population. Frailty was introduced as a global measure of physiologic reserve, de ned as differential vulnerability and the ability to respond to stressors.
The Hopkins Frailty Score is a commonly used tool for pre-op assessment of frailty. In addition to this score, the authors examined other measurements of frailty such as biochemical markers and self-assessments. They found the Hopkins Frailty Score to be the best predictor of post-op complications of the parameters examined. As such, they did not offer an augmentation of it. Despite the limitation of patient numbers, with only seven patients in the frail category, this study attempts to include frail patients of all ages over 18.
While this is an interesting and noble goal, frailty in younger adults may be more appropriately analyzed separately from the common troubles of the elderly, particularly due to the difference in the surgeries performed. Nevertheless, this study reinforces the utility of the Hopkins Frailty Score for the preoperative assessment of patient frailty.
Further reading on the study in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons: http://www.journalacs.org/article/S1072-7515(13)00466-3/abstract
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New Device Helps Positioning ofStereotactic Frame for Neurosurgery
A new positioning aid which enables more accurate and faster attachment of a stereotactic frame to a patient has been devised by neurosurgeons at Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust with help from Health Enterprise East (HEE), the NHS innovation Hub for the East of England and East Midlands.
The Stereotactic Frame Position Aid has been created by Mr Hu Liang Low and Mr Harith Akram as a result of their own problems in trying to attach frame holders to patients in a quick and reliable manner.
Stereotactic frames have head-holding clamps and bars which put the head in a xed position so that surgical instruments can be guided to the required target area using a route which results in minimal damage to surrounding tissues. These devices are used by neurosurgeons to deal with a range of conditions including brain cysts and tumour biopsies.
Various methods of accurately aligning the stereotactic frame have been tried in the past but this latest device holds the frame in the correct position and enables ne adjustment, allowing a single operator to quickly and accurately position the stereotactic frame.
The positioning aid is being manufactured by Innomed, a leading manufacturer of surgical instruments, based in Germany, with over 25 years experience in the eld.
HEE helped to bring the product to market by sourcing a suitable commercial partner – Innomed – who they rst made contact with at Medica the world’s largest medical device exhibition held annually in Düsseldorf, Germany.
Chris Armstrong HEE Marketing Manager said: “This is the rst project HEE has commercialised with Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust and we are delighted to have been able to provide the help needed to take it from concept through to market . We hope this is the rst of many exciting innovations on which we will be able to collaborate.”
Further details: www.innomed.com
Health Enterprise East Limited is the NHS Innovation Hub for the East Midlands, East of England and North London. We are committed to improving healthcare through supporting the development of innovative new products and services which meet the needs of the NHS. Health Enterprise East provides a broad range of services to NHS organisations, providing expert advice, funding and support to NHS innovators to translate their ideas into practice.
Operating within the NHS, Health Enterprise East also provides consultancy services to technology-based companies looking to access the UK market. Health Enterprise East works with clinical key opinion leaders and senior NHS managerial, commissioning and procurement staff on a daily basis. Our NHS market assessments provide vital information for companies to ensure that their products are well targeted to the technical and business needs of the NHS, speeding up adoption of new technology by the NHS.
For further information please visit www.hee.org.uk.
Left to right: From Barking, Havering & Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, Dr Davy Yeung, Associate Director of Research and Innovation; Mr Harith Akram, Neurosurgeon and Mr Hu Liang Low, Consultant Neurosurgeon with Chris Armstrong, Marketing Manager, HEE.
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Surgery recommended for severely blocked or narrowed
iliac arteriesJournal of Endovascular Therapy Aortoiliac occlusive disease (AIOD), a disorder of the circulatory system that occurs when the iliac arteries narrow or become blocked, greatly affects a per sons quality of life. Its effects range from discomfort to pain throughout the lower body, depending on the stage of the disease.
About 10% of Americans suffer from AIOD. Vascular surgeons have not been in agreement on the optimal treatment. The authors of an article in the current issue of the Journal of Endovascular Therapy analyzed many studies to decide which of two options, open bypass surgery or endovascular repair is preferable for treating severe cases of the disease.
Open bypass surgery allows surgeons to access regions of the body through major blood vessels. Because this option is more invasive, surgeons are increasingly attempting less invasive endovascular repair for patients with AIOD. Recent advances in technology make endovascular repair relatively safe. However, the authors of the current article say this trend is controversial.
The authors analyzed the most recent data in their attempt to recommend the preferable AIOD treatment. They searched several databases and found nearly 60 relevant studies published from 1989 to 2010 that included more than 5,300 patients. Mean patient age was around 60 years whether the patient was treated surgically or endovascularly.
The authors concluded that AIOD should be tackled through surgery because 5 years after treatment, patients who had undergone surgery had fewer issues with blocked lower-body arteries. The authors contend that this outcome overrides other ndings, such as patients in the open bypass group spending more time in the hospital, having more complications, and dying more frequently within the rst month compared with those in the endovascular treatment group.
The authors of a commentary in the same issue of the journal agreed with the conclusions that surgery is a higher risk, requires more hospital time, and costs more initially, yet produces better long-term results compared with the endovascular method. However, they emphasize that endovascular repair should remain a possible treatment for this disease. They call the two options complementary and synergic tools and suggest that surgeons offer both to their patients, basing their recommendation on what is best for each patient.
Full text of the article Clinical Outcomes of 5358 Patients Undergoing Direct Open Bypass or Endovascular Treatment for Aortoiliac Occlusive Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis and commentary article are now available.
About the Journal of Endovascular Therapy
The Journal of Endovascular Therapy, an of cial publication of the International Society of Endovascular Specialists, publishes peer-reviewed articles of interest to clinicians and researchers in the eld of endovascular interventions.
The scope of the Journal is multidisciplinary, representing all topics related to minimally invasive peripheral vascular diagnosis and treatment. Original clinical studies, experimental investigations, state-of-the-art reviews, rapid communications, case reports, technical notes, editorials, and letters to the editor are published, as well as feature articles on the basics of endovascular interventions.
The journal is available online at www.jevtonline.org.
To learn more about the society, please visit www.isesonline.org.
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Hip replacement death rates show ‘dramatic fall’Death rates following hip replacement surgery fell by half in England and Wales between 2003 and 2011, a study in The Lancet has found.
Although death within 90 days of surgery is rare, mortality decreased from 0.56% to 0.29% in an analysis of more than 400,000 patients.
The researchers said that tter patients and better physiotherapy could be behind the decrease.
They added that simple treatment options would reduce the risk further.
Researchers from the universities of Bristol, Oxford, East Anglia and Exeter used data from the UK’s joint-replacement database, the National Joint Registry, to look at death rates following this type of surgery.
In their study they found that 1,743 patients died within 90 days of surgery during the eight years.
In 2004, 24,723 patients had hip replacement surgery and 139 of those died within 90 days.
While in 2011, there were 60,727 hip replacement operations carried out and 164 patient deaths.
Quick xThe reason for the fall in death rates could be down to a number of factors.
The researchers identi ed the use of a spinal anaesthetic as likely to lead to fewer complications. Speci c treatments to stop blood clots after surgery were also linked to a lower risk of death.
“Start QuoteBut people are also living longer and patients are recovering more quickly after surgery as a result of better post-operative care. For example, patients are encouraged to get up and start walking around the day after surgery.
The study said: “More recent generations of old people... are generally tter and less frail than old people at the start of the study.
“Likewise, other aspects of surgery and anaesthesia have improved suf ciently to account for the change in mortality rates.”
The research team noticed that people with certain medical conditions were at a much higher risk of dying following surgery - particularly those with severe liver disease, those who had had a heart attack and those with diabetes and renal disease.
Those patients who died were most likely to be elderly men, they said.
‘Surprising’But there were also some unexpected ndings. Overweight people (with a body mass index of 25-30) appeared to have a lower risk of death after hip surgery than those patients with a “normal” BMI of 20-25.
Ashley Blom, professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Bristol, said: “The nding that overweight people have a lower risk of death is surprising, but has been con rmed by other recent studies, and challenges some of our preconceptions.
“We need to concentrate efforts on reducing the risk of death in high risk groups such as those with severe liver disease.”
But he said that the “dramatic” overall fall in death rates was “extremely good news”.
“It is also very exciting that we can further reduce the risk of post-operative death by adopting relatively simple measures,” Prof Blom said.
A spokesperson from Arthritis Research UK, welcomed the ndings.
“This is great news for people in the UK who have osteoarthritis and require hip replacement surgery.
“Although not everyone who has arthritis will need hip replacement surgery, for many people, it’s their only hope to reduce the pain, disability and stiffness associated with the disease.
“There are however always risks associated in having major surgery such as hip replacement surgery, so we advise people to discuss these risks with their surgeon before they decide to have a hip replacement.”
Source: BBC
8 THE OPERATING THEATRE JOURNAL www.otjonline.com
MP Visits Local Technology Company
Neil Cant, Production and Development Manager at Xograph Technologies Ltd, Neil Carmichael, MP, Peter Staff, Group CEO and Mike Biro, General Manager for Xograph Group Ltd.
Neil Carmichael, MP for Stroud, recently visited specialist healthcare company Xograph Technologies, part of the Xograph Group, which is based at the former Siemens site in Ebley Road, Stonehouse after moving from its former site in Tetbury last year.
During a tour of the new headquarters which is based on a 2.8 acre site and comprises an administration building and behind this an R & D, manufacturing and warehouse facility, Mr Carmichael was able to see the whole process of product development from concept and design, through prototyping and on to full scale manufacturing. He met with Group CEO Peter Staff, General Manager Mike Biro and Neil Cant who is responsible for product development and manufacturing. They then went into the radiology department to watch medical X-ray equipment being tested prior to its installation into NHS and Private Hospitals throughout United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
Neil Carmichael commented, “It is very encouraging to see Xograph Technologies providing local jobs, manufacturing at the highest level and exporting around the world. With continued investment in this sector, I hope that more local rms will follow suit.”
Mr Carmichael and Xograph’s Group CEO Peter Staff are both members of the All Party Parliamentary Health Group and attend meetings on healthcare related topics regularly in Westminster.
Peter Staff said: “As a Group we are delighted to be manufacturing medical devices in the Stroud Valleys, particularly as these type of products until now were predominantly manufactured in the Far East. I would also like to say how pleased we were to receive excellent support from Stroud Council for our plans to upgrade the site.”
www.xographtechnologies.com Please quote ‘OTJ’
Limbs & Things presented with The Queens Award for
Enterprise InnovationPrestigious award ceremony to be attended by Her Majestys Lord-Lieutenant Mary Prior, MP Kerry McCarthy & Mayor George Ferguson Limbs & Things the UKs leading manufacturer of medical skills training products will be presented with The Queens Award for Enterprise Innovation by Her Majestys Lord-Lieutenant Mary Prior today. Limbs & Things, known for its world class medical skills training simulators, which it designs and manufactures in its Bristol factory, has been recognised for its innovative contribution to skills training in medicine. The Queens Award is the UKs highest accolade for business success.
Limbs & Things in-house design and manufacturing process balances traditional craft-based sculpting techniques with the latest technologies. The result is an innovative range of British made products whose realistic look and tactile feel allow healthcare professionals to build their con dence and skills to ultimately improve patient care.
We feel extremely honoured to have been awarded The Queens Award for Enterprise Innovation said Margot Cooper, President of Limbs & Things. This award ceremony is a celebration to recognise and thank our employees for all their hard work. It is their sheer dedication, creativity and continuous innovative work that has ensured our remaining at the forefront of the industry.
The prestigious award will be presented to Founder and President, Margot Cooper at the Limbs & Things premises in Bristol. Local MP Kerry McCarthy and Bristol Mayor, George Ferguson will also attend and give presentations at todays event, which will include an interactive exhibition of Limbs & Things key products and a rare opportunity to tour the companys on-site factory.
Our vision has always been to develop and supply products which allow clinical educators to deliver their curriculum requirements in physical examinations and procedural skills successfully. We remain committed to working closely with leading clinicians and embracing new materials and technologies to help meet the educational needs of tomorrows doctors and nurses, concluded Cooper.
Adding to its continued innovation excellence, Limbs & Things has recently launched its new Breast Examination Trainer. This exciting product provides a realistic platform for acquiring the delicate skills required for Clinical Breast Examination. Consisting of realistic soft tissue, with the versatility of interchangeable pathologies, the product teaches trainees about the identi cation of anatomical landmarks and lymph nodes. The training product is supplied with over ve different types of pathologies which can be placed in a variety of predetermined locations, offering students further challenges and surprises in their training. The Breast Examination Trainer can be used either as a bench top teaching aid, or worn by a simulated patient during student assessment.
Starkstrom has introduced an innovative new disposable scope warmer to the range of products that form its S-equiP solutions range for operating rooms and critical care areas. Everything in the range is designed to be safer, better and more ef cient, and reduce the time patients need to spend in theatre.
STARKSTROM’S NEW SCOPE WARMER - CLEAR SCOPES MAKE FOR FASTER SURGERY
The scope warmer was developed in response to the sharp increase in the number of minimally invasive procedures being carried out, a trend that looks set to continue. Starkstrom identi ed the need to introduce a product that would improve the quality of the image seen through the rigid endoscope, while also reducing operating times, and reducing the workload of nurses by eliminating the need to boil kettles and ll asks.
The scope warmer eliminates fogging during minimally evasive procedures by warming the rigid endoscope. Supplied in a sterile package, it is quick and easy to use, and heats the scope, and back up scope, in just one minute. The scope remains warm for up to one hour. Without the rigid endoscope fogging, the endoscope will not need to be removed for cleaning, saving valuable surgery time and aiding faster patient recovery.
The single use warmer accommodates all sizes and lengths of scopes, and is activated in a second.
It is a self-contained instant heat source, and requires no batteries, electricity, capital
equipment or alcohol. It is highly economical, costing only £5 per unit for a minimally invasive procedure, and eliminates related sterility costs. It is environmentally safe, and fully CE marked.
Further informationStarkstrom 020 8868 3732www.starkstrom.com [email protected] Amanda Parkin 07810 [email protected] Please quote ‘OTJ’
Find out more 02921 680068 • e-mail [email protected] Issue 277 October 2013 9
Fukuda Denshi exhibit key products at the Winter Intensive Care Society (ICS) MeetingFukuda Denshi is a leading supplier of advanced patient monitoring and user-con gurable clinical information management systems, and will be exhibiting a range of its key products at the Winter ICS Meeting, ‘State of the Art 2013’, being held from 16th-18th December 2013 at the International Conference Centre, East ExCeL, in London.
‘State of the Art 2013’ is the UK’s largest meeting for all critical care professionals and has become established both nationally and internationally as the UK’s premier conference for intensive care medicine. It provides the ideal platform for Fukuda Denshi to showcase their DS-8500 high end critical care monitor.
The DS-8500 incorporates Fukuda Denshi’s most intelligent user interface and allows users to tailor the DS- 8500 to meet their speci c requirements, by offering a full suite of modules.
The DS-8500 is highly versatile and can be mounted as a standalone system or alternatively attached to any anaesthesia machine. In addition, all patient data can be collected and viewed at the bedside or central station with its seamless patient record transfer from monitor to monitor via an HS 8000 super module.
Two monitor size options are available; the clear and compact 15” display, con gured to deliver in space restricted critical care and anaesthesia environments, and the vivid and expansive 19” option, designed for the demands of modern critical care.
Also on show will be Fukuda Denshi’s MetaVision Clinical Information System, the MVICU, which is speci cally designed for critical care use.
Visitors will receive a warm welcome from the Fukuda Denshi team, who will be on hand to demonstrate these state-of-the-art products and provide full product information and answer any questions.
Fukuda Denshi: Healthcare bound by technology.
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Black Triangle Scheme implemented across Europe The UKs Black Triangle scheme, used to intensively monitor the safety of new medicines, has been adopted for use in Europe following new legislation. The Black Triangle identi es medicines that are being monitored particularly closely because less information about the medicine is available for example it has recently been introduced. It does not mean that the medicine is unsafe. The changes mean that the Black Triangle symbol will feature in Patient Information Lea ets alongside Summaries of Product Characteristics. The accompanying advice will explain that the symbol means that the medicine is being monitored particularly closely and encourages reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions. A list of Black Triangle medicines is available at www.mhra.gov.uk/blacktriangle. We are asking healthcare professionals to be especially vigilant in identifying and reporting suspected adverse drug reactions via the Yellow Card Scheme, particularly those associated with Black Triangle medicines. Healthcare professionals can help by explaining to patients what the Black Triangle means and encouraging them to report any suspected adverse drug reactions to the Yellow Card Scheme. Dr June Raine, the MHRA Director of Vigilance and Risk Management of Medicines, said: We are pleased that information about the Black Triangle and reporting of adverse drug reactions will now be included in the package lea et for patients as well as in product information for healthcare professionals. We strongly encourage healthcare professionals, patients and the public to report suspected adverse drug reactions to the Yellow Card Scheme, especially for Black Triangle medicines. Reporting provides vital evidence which helps the MHRA improve our knowledge of medicines safety.
You can report a side effect on line at www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard
10 THE OPERATING THEATRE JOURNAL www.otjonline.com
Penlon Launches New Anaesthesia Systems: UK Design and Build for Hospitals and Surgery Centres Worldwide
The Penlon Prima 450 and Penlon Prima 460 are both fully featured anaesthesia systems with clinician-focused choices and bene ts to suit both large theatres and induction rooms.
The Prima 450 and Prima 460 are a unique fusion of customer feedback and Penlon’s experience, skills and renowned quality. The new generation of anaesthesia systems have been designed, engineered and manufactured in our own UK facility to the latest ISO standard for anaesthetic workstations (80601-2-13). Our research shows that set up time is an important factor when preparing for a clinical procedure so both systems are extremely intuitive, reducing training to a minimum. In developing these systems Penlon have also addressed the issue of restricted oor space in small theatres and induction rooms. The Prima 450 packs maximum features into a compact footprint making it ideally suited to areas where space is at a premium. The Prima 460 has all the features of the Prima 450 including a functional top shelf module and GCX-compatible monitor mount, plus generous work space and a Selectatec® compatible backbar with two or three stations providing maximum exibility, ease of use and comfort.
Both systems feature: • Electronic ow display and conventional owmeter options • Fully integrated ventilator and absorber • Engineered and built in the UK • HIS connectivity • Low life costs • ISO 80601-2-13 compliant
Prima 450 and Prima 460 mark the start of an exciting new era for Penlon and the development team are already completing new additions to the range for 2014. All Penlon products are covered by comprehensive warranties and fully supported with a worldwide training program. Penlon leads the eld with bespoke training packages that truly empower and enable customers to maintain equipment to the maximum standard. Service options offer excellent value for money and can include parts and tools.
Penlon is a long established medical device company, with headquarters and manufacturing based in Abingdon, UK. The key areas of business are Anaesthesia, Intubation, Suction and Oxygen Therapy and these are supported by our experienced Technical Service team. Penlon has a presence in over 90 countries worldwide.
If you would like to discuss this or anything else at Penlon please do not hesitate to contact Joanne West at any time. Joanne West, Marketing Manager, Penlon Limited, Abingdon Science Park, Barton Lane, Abingdon, OX14 3NB Tel: +44 (0) 1235 547078 Email: [email protected] Web: www.penlon.com When responding to articles please quote ‘OTJ’
New Cancer Treatment Receives ‘Glowing’ Reviews, Asons Solicitors CommentAccording to the Manchester Evening News, Stepping Hill Hospital is among the rst to successfully use a glowing dye, aiding the removal of a cancerous kidney tumour. The pioneering treatment could help prevent the incidence of surgical errors, increasing the success rate associated with the procedure.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Stepping Hill Hospital is among the rst to successfully use a glowing dye, aiding the removal of a cancerous kidney tumour (1). The pioneering treatment could help prevent the incidence of surgical errors, increasing the success rate associated with the procedure.
Believed to be the rst of its kind in the UK, the operation involved the use of a uorescent green dye, highlighting the healthy part of the kidney, leaving the cancerous tissue to be black in appearance (1). As reported in the Manchester Evening News, this colour distinction improves the surgeon’s ability to distinguish the cancerous tumour, enabling a thorough removal, saving the healthy tissue where possible.
Conducted by surgeons Steve Bromage and Neil Oakley, it has been agreed that the operation was a complete success (1).
Steve Bromage, described the procedure as follows –
“This is a signi cant advance. The new cost-effective technique helps surgeons preserve as much kidney function as possible while still removing all the malignant tissue.”
“The dye clearly shows the boundaries of the cancerous tumour in just seconds, giving surgeons a quick and safe way to de nitively mark the margins of cancerous tissue.”
“This allows us to spare as much healthy kidney tissue, and kidney function, as possible.”
“Sparing even a little bit of kidney tissue, that we might have otherwise taken out, is a very good thing.”Following their success, the hospital plans to continue using the technique, with the results being followed with great interest (1).
Considering the procedure, Asons Executive, Laura Williams –
“This technique represents a progression in surgical techniques, and it will be interesting to see how cancer treatments improve.”
“A clear distinction between cancerous and healthy tissue will leave less room for surgical errors; it may also improve the prognosis for those whose treatment has been delayed due to cancer misdiagnosis.”
“At Asons Solicitors, we see claims for surgery compensation, where complications have hindered recovery. Improvements such as these can help avoid such scenarios, improving the success rate of complicated procedures.”
(1) The Manchester Evening News ‘Glowing dye’ saves cancer patient in operation rst at Stepping Hill hospital (16/0/2013), manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/glowing-dye-saves-cancer-patient-6030512
Find out more 02921 680068 • e-mail [email protected] Issue 277 October 2013 11
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• For use in emergency departments and
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• Enables faster patient transfer
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PROACT’s LpEx Dual Purpose Blade Now Available on NHS Supply Chain
PROACT Medical Ltd are pleased to introduce the innovative new LpEx Dual Purpose Laryngoscope Blade.
The patented LpEx dual purpose blade is designed to offer not only routine tracheal intubation but also to assist the safe placement of gastric tubes. The blade has a rounded concave groove to the underside of the blade, which is designed to accommodate and maintain in the midline an existing in place ETT, whilst offering a clearly illuminated view of the Hypopharynx. The gastric tube can then be passed with much greater ease and safety under direct vision.
LpEX blades are available direct from PROACT and are also now included on the NHS Supply Chain airway management framework agreement. For a demonstration video presented by the inventor of the blade, Dr Ashfaque, please visit: www.proactmedical.co.uk/lpex or call us on 01536 461981 for samples or to request a quotation.
When responding to articles please quote ‘OTJ’
The Care Quality Commission is to be given Greater Independence so it can act Fearlessly as
The Nation’s Chief Whistleblower on HealthThe health regulator, the Care Quality Commission, is to be given greater independence to ensure it can act fearlessly as the nation’s chief whistleblower on health, Jeremy Hunt Health Secretary announced on the 2nd of October.
Under the proposals, the Health Secretary will relinquish a range of powers to intervene in the operational decisions of the CQC. This means that the CQC will no longer need to ask for Secretary of State approval to carry out an investigation into a hospital or care home. It will also remove the Secretary of State’s power to direct CQC on the content of its annual report.
In addition, the newly created positions of Chief Inspector of Hospitals, General Practice and Adult Social Care, will be enshrined in law. This will place the positions on a permanent footing and ensure that individuals who are appointed to the roles are able to speak up for patients without fear of political interference.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said: The Chief Inspector must be the nation’s whistleblower in chief. We will legislate in the Care Bill to give the CQC statutory independence, rather like the Bank of England has over interest rates. The welfare of patients is too important for political meddling and our new legislation will make sure Ministers always put patients rst.
The government proposes to make these amendments to the Health and Social Care Act 2008 that established CQC, via the Care Bill, as it passes through the House of Lords in October.
Under the proposals, the House of Lords will consider whether to amend the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to remove the Secretary of State’s powers to dictate which organisations the CQC should inspect, how it should carry out inspections and how it will write up its ndings in a report.
The government also proposes to insert the posts of Chief Inspectors of Hospitals, Adult Social Care and General Practice into the Act.
Professor Sir Mike Richards was appointed as Chief Inspector of Hospitals in May, Andrea Sutcliffe was appointed as Chief Inspector of Adult Social Care in July and Professor Steve Field was appointed as Chief Inspector of General Practice in August.
They will lead CQC’s inspections and regulate providers of health or social care services across the public, private and independent sectors. It is also their job to ensure those services are safe, effective, caring, responsive to people’s needs and that they are well led.
12 THE OPERATING THEATRE JOURNAL www.otjonline.com
Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe Use Cool New C-Arm from XographPortiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, Republic of Ireland, have followed Merlin Park Hospital, Galway with the purchase of a Ziehm Vision R SmartVascular mobile C-Arm with liquid cooling, from leading medical equipment provider Xograph Healthcare Ltd.
The name Portiuncula, also known as Porziuncola, originated in 1943 when the Franciscan Missionaries of the Divine Motherhood opened a nursing home at Mount Pleasant, and the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Clonfert, John Dignan, invited them to found a hospital, which opened on 9th April 1945. The nuns named their hospital after Portiuncula in Italy, the place where Franciscanism began. The name Porziuncola also means “small portion of land”.
Making the most of their small portion of land, Portiuncula Hospital staff and patients will bene t from the convenience and versatility of their Ziehm Vision R SmartVascular - a modern, but compact, mobile uoroscopy system with advanced vascular imaging capabilities. Users will also have the con dence to perform the most lengthy and demanding vascular and interventional procedures, supported by superb image guidance, with no concerns about overheating, thanks to the Ziehm Vision R’s Advanced Active Cooling (AAC) system. AAC uses circulating cooling liquid passing around the X-ray generator and rotating anode X-ray tube together with digital monitoring of temperatures and imaging parameters to enable the Vision R to achieve its remarkable performance.
The Ziehm Vision at Portiuncula Hospital also features an endoscopy imaging package which includes an endoscopy-optimised imaging programme and allows users to con gure the two 19” high brightness monitors in either a traditional uoroscopy display format or into both X-ray and endoscopy viewing formats. An endoscope video input is provided on the unit which is compatible with all major endoscope brands. By having both the X-ray and endoscopy images displayed in one place, the endoscopist does not have to repeatedly turn to view images in different locations within the procedure room, relieving them from something that can, quite literally, be a pain in the neck.
Margaret Dervan, Radiology Services Manager at Portiuncula Hospital said: “I am so pleased we have invested in this fantastic unit; it is so compact and lightweight. It will improve our Radiology Services considerably and I am very grateful to Xograph for supplying this unit and helping us so much.”
Michael Leonard, Business Manager for Xograph Healthcare Ireland. “Portiuncula Hospital users will experience many bene ts from the Vision R mobile C-Arm, not just in the signi cant dose reduction and terri c image quality but also with the unit’s versatility in being able to quickly change role from Vascular/Interventional specialist to Endoscopy specialist, making it an extremely cost-effective product.”
www.xograph.com
Caroline Hanrahan, Debbie Walter, Maeve Darcy, Margaret Dervan, Radiology Services Manager, Anita Tuohy, Dr Niall Gough, Consultant Radiologist and Michael Leonard, Business Manager for Xograph Healthcare Ireland.
Bystander CPR positively associated with cardiac arrest survival
Rates of bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on patients in cardiac arrest increased following initiatives to improve resuscitation education in Denmark.
2. Survival increased in cardiac arrest patients who were given CPR by bystanders.
Study Rundown:
This study, conducted using patient data from Denmark, assessed the relationship between increased bystander resuscitation efforts and patient survival following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest between 2001 and 2010.
The rates of bystander intervention were particularly signi cant as Denmark started several initiatives in 2005 to increase rates of bystander CPR, including mandatory CPR training in elementary schools and upon receiving driving licensure.
It was found that bystander intervention rates, survival upon arrival, 30-days, and 1-year increased signi cantly over the study period. Thirty-day and 1-year survival tripled and the number of survivors per 100,000 people more than doubled between 2001 and 2010.
Improvements in standards of care, quality of CPR, and emergency medical service (EMS) techniques among other factors, which have the potential to alter survival rates, were not accounted for.
Thus, while a strong association was observed between increased bystander CPR and survival, a casual relationship could not be readily established.
Read the study here: http://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1745678
Source: 2 minute medicine
The UK SepsisTrust announces the UK The UK SepsisTrust announces the UK Infection Management Coalition statement!Infection Management Coalition statement!In partnership with the Royal College of Nursing, British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy, Infection Prevention Society, British Infection Association, Antibiotic Action and British Association of Critical Care Nurses, the UK Sepsis Trust announced on the 23rd September the launch of the world’s rst coalition statement on infection management.
The trinity of infection management nal 0913b aims to address the 3 key issues in infection management - rapid treatment of sepsis, antimicrobial stewardship and prevention of avoidable infection- with equal voice, and provides a blueprint for future strategic development across the United Kingdom.
Further information:-http://sepsistrust.org/ les/2013/09/The-trinity-of-infection-management- nal-0913b.pdf
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14 THE OPERATING THEATRE JOURNAL www.otjonline.com
Patients at risk as NHS fails to respond to safety alertsThe NHS in Wales is putting patients at unnecessary risk by not implementing vital safety alerts according to a leading patients’ safety charity.
Action Against Medical Accidents says that despite signi cant improvements in the past year, all seven Welsh health boards are missing deadlines.
The alerts introduce procedures to minimise risks to patients whose treatment has repeatedly gone wrong.
The charity had particular concerns about two health boards.
Alerts issued by the National Patient Safety Agency, a UK health watchdog, include:
• procedures to minimise the risks of giving a patient the wrong blood during transfusion
• promoting the safer use of injectable medicines
• preventing deaths from incorrect doses of medicines.
• Each alert has a deadline for its implementation.
The total number of alerts outstanding across Wales reduced from 140 to 61 during the past year - a drop of almost 60%.
Every health board has seen an improvement in their rates. However, Action Against Medical Accidents found some of Wales’ health boards had not fully complied with certain alerts even though the deadline for implementation was more than ve years ago.
The worst rate of compliance was at Hywel Dda Local Health Board, covering Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire, which had not fully implemented 23 of the alerts by the deadlines.
In response, a spokesman said: “Hywel Dda Health Board takes compliance with patient safety alerts very seriously and has undertaken a review of accountability and responsibility to improve its response.
“As a relatively new organisation we also made the decision to review and revalidate compliance against patient safety alerts dating back to 2002 and believe this good practice will place us in a con dent position in terms of compliance moving forward.
“We’d wish to assure our patients that compliance is closely monitored and reported to the health board’s quality and safety committee.”
Cathy O’Sullivan, acting director of the board of Community Health Councils in Wales, said it was “inexcusable”.
“I don’t believe that any patient safety alert should be outstanding, it should be completed by the deadline to ensure that we don’t have incidents or accidents for patients,” she added.
The report said the performance of Betsi Cadwaldr University Health Board, which runs health and hospital services across north Wales, was “also of particular concern”, with 15 alerts outstanding past their deadlines.
Betsi Cadwaldr health board told BBC Wales that it would be inappropriate to comment until it had seen and considered the report in full.
Two health boards, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg (which covers Swansea, Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot) and Aneurin Bevan (which is responsible for the former Gwent area), reduced the number of outstanding alerts to just four each, the report found.
It concluded: “Whilst there has been signi cant and welcome improvement in compliance with patient safety alerts, it is very concerning that Hywel Dda and Betsi Cadwaldr health boards still have so many alerts outstanding, some of which are years past the deadline for completion, and that no single health board is fully compliant.
“According to Standards for Health Services in Wales there should be 100% compliance. Patients are being left at unnecessary risk.
“It is possible that some patients may have suffered harm or even died needlessly as a result of alerts not being complied with.”
The report suggests two health boards - Aneurin Bevan and Betsi Cadwaladr - have failed to fully implement procedures designed to reduce the risk of giving patients the wrong blood transfusion, despite the deadline for its implementation passing in May 2007.
Only three boards - Cardiff and Vale, Cwm Taf (covering the south east Wales valleys) and Powys - had completed actions on an alert designed to improve the safe administration of oxygen.
The deadline for completion of this alert was March 2010.
And three health boards - Aneurin Bevan, Cwm Taf and Hywel Dda - had yet to complete actions to prevent deaths from giving patients an incorrect dose of medicines, missing its November 2011 deadline.
Action Against Medical Accidents has called for an urgent review in the way patient safety is regulated in Wales.
It claims Health Inspectorate Wales (HIW) could not provide it with evidence that it had taken action to ensure compliance with patient safety alerts.
It said: “Health Inspectorate Wales appears to have ignored our previous reports and failed to protect patients’ safety by ensuring patient safety alerts are complied with.
“This is a serious dereliction of duty.”
The report also accused HIW and the Welsh government of failing to take the issue of non-compliance seriously and said the health minister had refused a meeting to discuss the issues.
Mandy Collins, deputy chief executive of Healthcare Inspectorate Wales, said elements of criticism were “justi ed”.
She said: “I think we failed to properly respond to an FOI (freedom of information) request where we were given an opportunity to give a fuller picture in what we do in relation to patient safety alerts. There’s a much better story for HIW to have told and, as I said, we missed that opportunity.”
Ms Collins said every clinician had a “responsibility” to keep up to date and make themselves aware of patient safety alerts.
“Boards have a responsibility to make sure their organisations are t for purpose and that involves making sure your services are safe and are complying with guidance, such as safety alerts,” she added.
A Welsh government spokesperson said: “We welcome scrutiny of patient safety - this is a matter we take very seriously.
“While it is encouraging that NHS organisations have made major improvements to compliance on patient safety alerts, more still needs to be done to achieve full compliance.
“We continue to monitor this data across health boards and have set up a group to look at particular areas of concern.
“We have made it clear we expect all organisations to make further improvements in the interests of patient safety and quality of services.”
Source: BBC Wales - Owain Clarke
View the journal online @ www.otjonline.comOTJ Back isues are also available to view
Find out more 02921 680068 • e-mail [email protected] Issue 277 October 2013 15
Rapidly defogs rigid endoscopes, providing
time saving surgery solutions.
• Only £5 per unit cost for a minimally invasive
procedure
• Enables speedy reinsertion
• Aids faster patient recovery
• Eliminates related sterility costs
• Heats rigid endoscope in 1 min – keeping it
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Mobile storage solutions for operating theatresFlexibility and mobility is the key to any new storage solution being proposed for operating theatres.
Bulky, static cupboards that take up a lot of space are a thing of past and are now being replaced by mobile trolleys allowing theatre rooms to be quickly adapted to suit different requirements.
The new easy-to-clean MPO (modular and organisation) aluminium trolley from ZARGES has been speci cally designed to be used in operating theatres as well as across other hospital departments.
The German made trolley has ‘designed-out’ any areas where dirt or germs could build up with smooth, solid all-aluminium frame and walls. In addition, the internal trays, baskets; and the supporting side panels are easily removable for cleaning.
A choice of either single or double width trolleys, as well as a complete range of different heights is available. Mobility is provided via four hard-wearing, non-marking swivel castors and to aid identi cation side walls can be supplied in four different colours; red, blue, green and yellow.
Modular trays and baskets are available in a choice of depths (from 50mm up to 250mm), and can be supplied as a ‘mix’ ensuring theatres get the right combination of storage modules for their team.
Another design option is a choice of doors which includes open front, split doors or tambour
(rolling) doors. Tambour doors are ideal for saving space and as with the trays and side panels, can be quickly removed for cleaning.
Available to any hospital on a free 2 week trial period, the ZARGES MPO trolley includes over 70 different design options, is easy to move and clean whilst its robust, durable design will last for many years.
For further information or to trial an MPO trolley please email [email protected] or call Paul Cruickshank on 07741 261 037. Please quote ‘OTJ’
Protocol Promises
Better Surgical Recovery
Programs that promote enhanced recovery after surgery are bene cial for both patients and institutions, according to a recent study that supports the use of the increasingly common treatment plans.
Popularized in Europe, so–called ERAS programs are becoming more widespread in the United States, although the data for their overall ef cacy here are still lacking.
The latest study should help. North Carolina researchers found that surgical patients undergoing the novel program had signi cantly reduced lengths of stay and 30–day readmission rates, as well as potentially lower hospital costs, than those who received conventional care.
“Enhanced recovery after surgery is a concept that integrates a number of evidence–based practices into protocolized care, in this case into colorectal surgery patients,” said Tong Joo (T.J.) Gan, MD, vice chair of anesthesiology at Duke University, in Durham, N.C., who led the work.
Source: MD Linx - General Surgery News, 10/04/2013
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Find out more 02921 680068 • e-mail [email protected] Issue 277 October 2013 17
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18 THE OPERATING THEATRE JOURNAL www.otjonline.com
Verity Extremity CT Scanner Roadshow drives inquisitive interest
Leading independent medical equipment supplier Xograph Healthcare have generated much excitement with their rst Verity Extremity CT Roadshow which took place at Peninsula Radiology Academy, Plymouth, UK.
Demonstrated before an enthusiastic audience, the Verity displayed some of its impressive features such as ‘plug and play’ mobility, very high image quality, ultra-low dose and the ability to demonstrate normally hard to visualise fractures.
The Verity is designed to serve the needs of radiologists, orthopaedic surgeons and extremity specialists alike, for imaging the upper and lower limbs in the seated, recumbent and standing position (for weight-bearing examinations). Its mobile con guration allows CT close to the point of care.
Simon Pike, Verity Product Manager at Xograph Healthcare, said: “I am delighted to have been able to display this unique and revolutionary imaging product at the Peninsula Radiology Academy and to introduce the many bene ts that Verity brings to both users and patients - not just the fact that its mobility and compact size allows it to be used for fast diagnosis at the point-of-care or the signi cantly lower radiation dose, but also the features that make this unit so simple to use such as the touchscreen graphical user interface that guides the user through the procedure and a video camera and laser lights for ease of positioning.”
Dr Abdul Gafoor, Consultant Radiologist (Musculoskeletal) at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust attended the roadshow and said of the Verity: “It was an impressive piece of equipment. I particularly liked the size of the scanner, its mobility and ease of use especially for the patients undergoing elbow CT. Another solid use would be stress CT for the foot & ankle and the ease with which it can be achieved.”
www.xograph.com
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New Training Tools Launched by NHS Blood and Transplant To Increase
Consent Rates for Organ DonationNHS Blood and Transplant on the 2nd October launched a set of training tools designed to boost the number of deceased organ donors in the UK.
The new UK strategy ‘Taking Organ Transplantation to 2020’ highlighted the need for further and better training to be made available to health professionals to ensure families are approached and supported by hospital staff with the right skills and knowledge and given time to consider the bene ts of donation.
NHS Blood and Transplant has produced a DVD on how to approach families of potential organ donors so they are more likely to give their consent/authorisation, a printed guide that complements the DVD and a quick reference guide*. It is hoped these materials will help maximise both the number of referrals for organ donation and the consent rate, as those making the family approach will be more skilled to approach a family about organ donation and sensitively deal with objections raised.
The new training package has been developed by acknowledged UK experts in organ donation and has received the support of the Intensive Care Society and Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine. It builds upon guidance issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, and has been given to all consultants working in intensive care units and specialist nurses - organ donation (SNODs) across the UK.
Although 2012/13 was a record year in the UK for the number of deceased donors (1,212) and the number of deceased donor transplants (3,111), the consent rates for organ donation in the UK still rank amongst the lowest in Europe. Four out of ten families approached refuse to donate.
The new training materials emphasise the importance of notifying a specialist nurse in organ donation as soon as the possibility for donation is recognised and involving them in how donation will then be raised with the family of the potential donors. Figures from the Potential Donor Audit 2012/13 emphasise just how important this is: last year 66% of families agreed to organ donation going ahead when a specialist nurse in organ donation was involved in the approach, compared to just 37% when they were not.
Dr Paul Murphy, National Clinical Lead for Organ Donation at NHS Blood and Transplant said:“The deceased donor transplant rate in the UK is currently 49 per million population. To match the best in the world, we need to increase the deceased donor transplant rate to 74 per million population. To do so, we need more families to say yes to donation. The transplant rate we aspire to of 74 per million population could mean performing an additional 1,500 transplants each year – which means 1, 500 more people receiving the life-saving or life-transforming treatments they desperately need.
“An even stronger collaboration between NHS Blood and Transplant and all the acute hospitals in the UK is vital. Part of this is about ensuring that we’re giving Specialist Nurses and clinical teams the training they need to be able to raise donation with grieving families in the right way and at the right time. Only in this way will we reduce our shocking rates of family refusal and give patients the best chance of getting the transplants they need.”
To secure a free copy of the training materials, contact:Pauline O’Brien on 01923 367669.
*The Quick Reference guide will not be available in Scotland.
Liam Neill, Territory Manager at Xograph Healthcare Ltd, demonstrates the Verity Extremity CT Scanner at Peninsula Radiology Academy, Plymouth
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Find out more 02921 680068 • e-mail [email protected] Issue 277 October 2013 19
THEATRE RNs & ODPsmake a lifestyle choice –choose New Zealand
FAR AND AWAY THE BESTView our latest vacancies at www.pulsejobs.com
Send us your CV or call us on:
+44 207 959 [email protected](marking your email NZ)
Theatre RNs and Operating DepartmentPractitioners are highly prized in New Zealandso the choice is yours.
A large teaching hospital, a smaller base hospital, aweekdays-only job in one of NZ’s smart private clinics –whatever your choice we’ll find the right job for you.
If you are a western or Australasian-trained TheatreNurse or ODP with two years post-qualificationexperience contact us now for more information.
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ISLE OF MANTHEATRE STAFF NURSES
RGN or ODP’s are invited to apply. You will need to have current UK Theatre experience in Anaesthetic, Scrub and/or Recovery. Ideally you will have been
working in main theatres however individuals with day surgery skills are also of interest. Orthopaedic scrub skills are particularly desirable. It is essential that
you are a good team player and a patient focused practitioner.
Why should you choose when you can have both? At Care UK our nurses enjoy the best of both worlds.
For further information please contact the Nursing Recruiters at Care UK.
Katie Wilson ([email protected] or 07051 683041) or Sharon Johal ([email protected] or 07423 422427)
Or please visit careuk.com/careers or email [email protected]
NURSES... GREAT NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU AT OUR NHS TREATMENT CENTRES.
Join us and you will benefit from a structured day and developing your career within the business. We also encourage our nurses to concentrate on the other important things in life.
At Care UK, we see our Theatre teams as an invaluable part of the service we provide. They pride themselves on providing excellent patient care and are very much at the heart of the treatment centres.
We have 11 NHS Treatment Centres, offering a range of inpatient and day services for patients referred by their GP. We provide high quality specialist care and excellent results for more than 50,000 patients each year, making us one of the UK’s largest independent providers of NHS treatments.
We have a range of bank and permanent opportunities for Nurses and ODPs in Anaesthetics, Scrub and Recovery at our NHS Treatment Centres, locations including:
Barlborough, Derbyshire • Cirencester, Gloucestershire • Devizes, Wiltshire
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