Toshiba ultrasound engineers Steve Proc (left) and John Williams (second from right) with Hull and East Yorkshire NHS Trust clinical engineering technicians Russ Harvey, Alan High, Mark Platten and Martyn Harrison.
Toshiba Medical Systems has introduced a concept which it reports is generating interest among trusts and hospitals. The co-operative service agreement involves the local medical engineering department undertaking one preventative maintenance inspection a year, allowing cost-savings without prejudicing the service level. To ensure that local engineers have a good working knowledge of how to perform an inspection of the ultrasound equipment, Toshiba holds first-line training courses with selected staff from each of the trusts involved.
Paul Capes at Castle Hill Hospital, Cottingham, said: “As technical manager for clinical engineering for the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust I am genuinely excited about the three-year agreement we have for co-operative support of our ultrasound machines. In times where NHS budgets are under severe pressure, this agreement has enabled the trust to save ten per cent on its maintenance charges in year one, with a further six per cent productivity improvement discount applied to years two and three.”
See the full report on page 8 of the December 2013 issue of RAD Magazine.