The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published a new strategy that is designed to radically cut the number of single-use medical devices in the NHS.
Disposable medical devices substantially contribute to the 156,000 tonnes of clinical waste that the NHS produces every year in England alone. DHSC says this major crackdown on waste in the NHS will save millions of pounds a year.
The new strategy, ‘Design for Life Roadmap’, means that BHTA members that manufacture medical devices should focus on producing sustainable products, as the NHS is slashing waste and prioritising reuse, remanufacturing, and recycling.
Doing so will create thousands more UK jobs and help transform the country into a life sciences superpower, according to the UK Government. As it stands, millions of devices, like walking aids and surgical instruments, are thrown away after just one use.
The government will encourage more innovation to safely remanufacture a wider range of products and drive costs down, including by changing procurement rules to incentivise reusable products and rolling out examples where hospitals are already leading the way on cutting wasteful spending and practices.
Approximately £10 billion each year is spent on medical technology like this in the NHS, but too much of it is imported via vulnerable routes that risk disrupting patient care, the government states.
Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said: “The NHS is broken. It is the mission of this government to get it back on its feet, and we can’t afford a single penny going to waste.
“Because the NHS deals in the billions, too often it doesn’t think about the millions. That has to change. This government inherited a £22 billion blackhole in the public finances, so we will have a laser-like focus on getting better value for taxpayers’ money.
“Every year, millions of expensive medical devices are chucked in the bin after being used just once. We are going to work closely with our medical technology industry, to eliminate waste and support homegrown medtech and equipment.”
In one case study, Mid Yorkshire Trust uses 330,000 single-use tourniquets in a year, but a single reusable tourniquet can be used 10,000 times. In a one-year trial, reusable alternatives saved £20,000 in procurement costs and 0.75 metric tonnes of plastic waste.
The Design for Life programme will reduce this kind of waste and achieve an NHS-wide move to sustainable alternatives, also supporting the government’s net zero goals. The new roadmap sets out 30 actions to achieve this shift, including how the government will work with companies to encourage the production of more sustainable products, along with training for NHS staff on how to use them.
Taking this approach will mean more money can be spent in the UK, DHSC underlines, driving growth and creating more engineering, life sciences, and research jobs, while securing savings for the NHS budget.
Many of these products include precious metals such as platinum and titanium, which are in high demand but go to landfill when they could be recovered and sold. A reduction in the amount of disposed single-use devices will also reduce the country’s carbon footprint and plastic pollution.
The government will encourage industry figures to innovate by making sure benefits of reusable medtech are part of how the NHS chooses the products it buys.
The Design for Life programme was developed with more than 80 stakeholders from the UK medtech industry, the health and care system, and research organisations.
The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) has welcomed ISKOmed UK as a new member. ISKOmed UK is the UK subsidiary of ISKO Koch GmbH, which designs and manufactures specialist medical device equipment.
The BHTA recently caught up with Greg Whelan, Managing Director of ISKOmed UK, to learn more about Greg’s background, the firm’s range of specialist products, and how being part of the BHTA can help lobby for important change.
“The journey to ISKOmed UK has been quite an interesting one,” Greg exclaimed.
In 2017, Greg joined Nexus DMS (the exclusive ISKO Koch UK distributor), which was soon taken over by Apex Medical. In 2022, Greg was promoted to Director. At the same time, the ISKO Koch agreement amicably ended with the now rebranded Wellell.
Greg said: “Roll onto 2024 and I realised I loved the ISKO products and sector. The opportunity arose for me to join ISKOmed UK, and the rest is history.
“It’s been an inspirational journey in the healthcare sector so far. I’ve learnt so much from all those I’ve worked alongside, met incredible people, made local and international friends, but, most of all, being part of something that absolutely makes a difference to people’s lives, for me, is truly why I do this.”
ISKOmed UK is the UK subsidiary of ISKO Koch GmbH, which is a designer and manufacturer of specialist medical device equipment. In the UK, ISKOmed UK markets and demonstrates its range of specialist beds for individuals with more complex needs.
Greg said: “With the newly rebranded Rotadorm (previously Rotapro) representing our rotational chair bed/stand-up bed range and a much wider offering, including bariatric beds, standing frames, and physiotherapy rehabilitation couches, we are well positioned to accommodate a varied client base and their needs.”
The partnerships in the business bring in skillsets including sales and marketing, regulatory, distribution, design and manufacture, and, importantly for the UK market, a clinical input.
Stuart Barrow is the clinical director of ISKOmed UK.
“Stuart being a qualified occupational therapist for almost 25 years with an extensive background in social services and private equipment and adaptations was the perfect fit for our UK company,” Greg continued. “We are delighted to have him recently join us as our clinical director.”
Stuart continues to run Promoting Independence, a bespoke clinical practice that runs the Occupational Therapy Adaptation Conference (OTAC), making his day-to-day clinical skills and operational management a perfect fit for the business.
Being a BHTA member can give firms access to important, relevant, and timely information regarding supply chain issues.
Greg explained: “The ongoing issues facing the global economy have an impact on everyone’s daily life in some way, whether it’s cost of living, energy costs, or sourcing components.
“Our supply chain issues seem somewhat less with German manufacturing. We enjoy quick delivery times and fortunately do not suffer the well documented issues that shipping freight can be subjected too from the Far East.
“I believe that the BHTA support offered to the membership is vital where logistics is being affected, and, as a member previously, have utilised their knowledge in this area to assist the business.”
ISKOmed UK will be attending all of the remaining OTAC events in 2024 and throughout 2025. The firm is also the headliner sponsor of the Moving and Handling Conference in October 2025.
Greg added: “We are also greatly looking forward to the BHTA Awards Dinner 2024 in November, giving us a great opportunity to meet with colleagues and partners in the industry.”
Greg said that there could be more new products from ISKOmed UK very soon.
Greg has highlighted the benefits of being a member of the BHTA, which importantly includes being part of an association that represents companies’ interests and concerns and lobbies for change.
“As a recent new member and having been a member in my previous organisation, I wanted ISKOmed UK to enjoy the full benefit from being part of the association and to be an active component within it,” Greg explained.
“When you enter a marketplace in your own right, it’s important to be supported by a body that represents the interests and concerns of the healthcare sector and one that can take the voice of its membership and lobby for change on their behalf. The BHTA is that industry recognised association and, for the healthcare sector, the voice that is needed.
“Our first Section meeting is being kindly hosted by Medstrom on the 9th of October. I am personally looking forward to meeting my peers and offering relevant input as required.”
To find out more about how the BHTA can support your business and how to become a BHTA member, visit this page.
The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) has welcomed ProSys International as a new member. ProSys International designs, develops, and manufactures a range of clinical supplies and medical devices for acute and secondary care environments.
The BHTA recently caught up with Gill Sims, Clinical & Commercial Director at ProSys International, to discover more about the firm, the value of being a BHTA member, and difficulties keeping up with the latest regulations.
Gill enjoyed a successful career in medical device sales for over 30 years. She has previously worked in the stoma, urology, wound, and obstetrics and gynaecology markets.
Gill recently joined ProSys International to support the firm’s vision and business development strategy in expanding its bowel management, pressure area care, and infection control portfolio in both primary and secondary care environments.
“As a registered nurse I am passionate in supporting healthcare professionals with best practice solutions to support and overcome the challenges faced in today’s clinical and home care settings,” Gill enthused. “Providing products and educational services to enable care of the highest standard is our goal and we are building a respected team to spread our reach and support at grass roots.”
Gill says that contributing to the development of exciting new products in the pipeline in a dynamic environment is incredibly rewarding. ProSys International’s overall goal is to deliver high-quality and cost-effective solutions, which involves multidisciplinary professionals supporting the firm’s projects from the outset.
The company anticipates launching its latest development in early 2025. This will mark the start of a programme that sees the true development of the ProSys International brand over the next three years.
Prosys International is a micro SME founded in the late 1990s by Graham Steer. As a mechanical and bioengineer, Graham grew the business with a focus on the design, development, and manufacturing of medical devices.
The company developed a range of products to assist in the management of highly infectious bodily fluids based upon super absorbent systems, and this subsequently led to the development of the Secco Faecal Management system. The Secco Faecal Management System Secco Protect™ is an easy-to-use system that reduces skin breakdown and pressure ulcer development, while preventing cross contamination. With its unique super absorbency technology, it contains spillages and odours as well as maintains patient dignity.
“Most recently a range of pressure relieving devices were added to the product portfolio, and this addition will be a focus for the business as we move in a new strategic direction,” Gill adds.
The ProSys International range of products are sold via a range of distribution channels including the NHS Supply Chain.
Gill explains that, for a small team, it is difficult to keep up to date with the latest regulations, as resources are stretched.
She says: “For any size organisation the trials and tribulations of endeavouring to comply with both regulatory and voluntary requirements in the 21st Century is like ‘pushing water uphill’, but with the added issue of reduced resources in a company the size of ProSys our small team can be stretched, regulatory compliance is without a doubt our biggest challenge ahead.
“Barry Holland, Regulatory Affairs Manager for the company, explains that the two main adverse events in recent history that caused most disruption within the compliance field have been the PIP Breast Implant Scandal of 2010 and Brexit in 2020.
“Regulations have been strengthened (and lengthened), Notified Bodies are now relying on State-of-the-Art obligations with typical guidelines such as MEDDEVs (although most don’t have any legal status), and now, if we’re lucky enough to sell our medical devices into Europe, our costs to comply with both the EU Medical Devices Regulations 2017/745 and the UK Medical Devices Regulations 2002 have doubled.
“Politicians continually say that “red tape” will be reduced, but unfortunately this never happens! Government Quangos continue to publish commitments that micro businesses and SMEs be given a “light touch” approach, but again we are yet to see this happen.
“The challenges for medical device compliance have never been tougher.”
Gill says that joining the BHTA as a member will help give ProSys International a collective voice. The BHTA can also provide valuable support and guidance in overcoming some of these challenges.
There are many benefits to becoming BHTA member. For Gill, the most value comes from regulatory support, networking opportunities, educational sessions, being part of a collective voice, and aligning with the BHTA Code of Practice.
Gill comments: “Joining the BHTA was a no-brainer for me, having worked for several member companies in the past, I have enjoyed the networking opportunities, educational events, and the collaborative approach to our industry challenges.
“The BHTA Code of Practice aligns so well with the ProSys mission and values and reflects a philosophy of care and support, which is very much at the forefront of all our activities.
“I am so looking forward to meeting with the Section members in the coming months and engaging in discussions that enhance quality of life for our customers whilst developing and growing our respective businesses.”
To find out more about how the BHTA can support your business and how to become a BHTA member, visit this page.
To accelerate traceability of medical devices, NHS Supply Chain has launched a new policy on Data Standards for Supplier Product Coding.
The new policy means that medical devices and clinical consumables suppliers are to adopt globally recognised coding standards for product identification, preferably the GS1 Global Trade Item Number (GTIN).
NHS Supply Chain also requires medical devices to carry ‘Unique Device Identification’ (UDI) compliant barcode labels, which will carry scannable information relating to the production of the device, for example the expiry date and the serial or lot number.
There are two documents available to download on the NHS Supply Chain website relating to the new policy.
According to NHS Supply Chain, improving data on medical devices across the NHS system is a key contributor to improving patient safety through greater and more rapid traceability.
It says that, at the moment, medical device data is not routinely collected in a consistent manner or standardised digital format. Current processes are often paper-based and lack standardisation and validation, which means that tracing medical devices is time consuming and laborious and linking devices to patient outcomes difficult.
NHS Supply Chain’s vision is that a single scan from inventory management systems can be integrated to have many uses across the NHS.
The adoption of global standards, such as GS1, for product identification, enhances the traceability of medical devices and other products used in an episode of patient care. It also means that the clinical time required for product or patient recall is reduced.
The GS1 standards provide a common foundation and consistent format and enables the unique identification, capture, and sharing of information automatically. When data describing medical devices is captured electronically it can be easily associated with a patient and provide accurate information about which devices have been used in their care.
This electronic data capture for product forms part of the NHS England Scan4Safety programme methodology to capture data for person (patient and caregiver), product, place, and procedure.
Access to this data electronically in a standard format enables it to be interrogated and performance of medical devices can be monitored, patient outcomes measured, and any potential issues with devices can be identified faster and more easily allowing clinicians to intervene and if necessary, prevent harm before it happens.
The policy will also support NHS Supply Chain in improving the quality of its critical product data and increasing the number of GTINs it holds for medical products in its catalogue.