Our Trust’s Quality Governance Steering Group has thanked Clinical Engineering, the team responsible for procuring equipment for our hospitals, for their hard work in throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Since the start of April 2020, the team has deployed more than 3,000 pieces of equipment across our Trust, often working beyond their usual hours to ensure we have the machines we need to treat our patients.

The equipment included various types of ventilators, dialysis machines, anaesthetic machines, defibrillators, and temperature scanners.

Some of it came from NHS England’s central hub and others had to be purchased by our Trust at a time when some of it was not easy to come by.

Tony Kaura, Head of Clinical Engineering, said: “All hospitals were trying to buy the equipment as well, therefore the suppliers had to apportion their deliveries nationally and at times we had to wait for equipment to arrive.

“We then had to commission the items and ensure the staff that would be using the equipment had the appropriate training. During lockdown this was done by online learning material, electronic user manuals and videos.

“As some of the devices were new to the Trust, we had to learn quickly about them, understand what tests needed to be done and then carry out the commissioning which took a little longer, however we turned them around as quick as we could following due diligence and our processes.”

To ensure equipment was available as quickly as possible, Clinical Engineering had to enhance its already strong relationships with other teams, including Critical Care, the High Dependency Unit, and Respiratory areas. They also worked with colleagues in Procurement to ensure the correct devices were ordered and standardised.

The team, which consists of 15 people across King George Hospital, Queen’s Hospital, and our site at Lyon Road, has had to work very hard to rise up to the challenges of the past 12 months.

Tony said: “We all worked Monday to Friday from 8am until we needed to! There were occasions when we came in on the weekend to commission equipment that was urgently needed.

“Despite all the pressures, changes in work patterns, and the new challenges, we have shown how resilient and versatile Clinical Engineering has been and the teamwork has been exemplary.

“They delivered to a very high standard despite the pressure; their actions ensured we got all the equipment to the wards on time so our patient could be treated.”

Kathryn Halford, Chief Nurse, said: “Much of the praise during the pandemic has gone to our wonderful doctors and nurses, who have been on the front line treating patients in very difficult circumstances.

“But there are thousands more people in our Trust who have been excelling to ensure we deliver the best care possible and this is just one example of the work that goes on behind the scenes at our hospitals.”

On the value of teamwork across different parts of the Trust, Kathryn added: “These relationships are central to the care we provide to our local communities.

“At Quality Governance Steering Group last week we thanked our colleagues in Clinical Engineering and the Medical Devices group for their exceptional effort to make sure we have had the equipment we needed over the past year.”