The Operating Theatre Journal Digital Edition September 2018

Register reinforces standards
for patient safety through
qualifications and training
THE need for greater safeguards for patients in hospitals through the
introduction of a recognised national standard of competence for
health care professionals working in the life sciences industry has been
pressed by HC Skills CEO Diane Irvine.
In an article written for MDET, the official quarterly journal of the
National Association of Medical Device Educators, she highlights the
fact that the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social
Care had recently introduced a credentialing register.
Under the scheme, practitioners who are required to be present in
patient-facing areas will have to verify that they belong to a register
that meets the PSA’s benchmarks.
This will help safeguard patients and staff, by risk-managing access,
improving infection control, ensuring that the right people have the
right qualification and standard of training to be in a hospital setting.
The article explains that commercial visitors such as medical device
experts or administrative teams on hospital premises effectively
become members of staff in the eyes of the law.
As a result, the hospital is potentially liable for their behaviour and
actions, and the impact of these on the safety of staff and patients.
In admitting a patient, hospitals immediately take on a duty of care for
that individual.
Medical negligence claims are valid when both of the following
parameters are established:
• A breach in that duty of care is established
• The breach is proven to have caused harm to the patient
When it comes to operating theatre protocols, for example, if a
patient is harmed and it is established that the hospital failed to check
whether the company representative who was present – effectively an
employee – had undergone the appropriate training, then it is deemed
a foreseeable risk that could have been avoided.
Sterile and single-use Anetic Aid
Toe-niquetsTM - with built-in safety features
Like any quality clinical equipment provider, Anetic Aid always makes
patient safety its highest priority. It’s built into the design of every
item in the company’s product range - from sophisticated QA4 Day
Surgery Systems, to the small, single-use ‘Toe-niquetsTM’ used for
surgery on fingers and toes.
Anetic Aid’s Toe-niquets were specially redesigned following a report
by the UK NHS National Patient Safety Agency (now NHS Improvement),
which highlighted risks to patients caused by some digital tourniquets
being left on too long after surgery.
A summary of the report (reference NPSA/2007/RRR007), published by
the British Medical Journal explained:’Tourniquets are used in hand
and foot surgery because of the need for a bloodless field to allow for
careful dissection. They are used in a range of settings, such as operating
theatres, emergency departments, community sites (for example, for
minor surgery in podiatry clinics). Although rare, complications can
lead to serious harm, including, at worst, irreversible ischaemia.
‘Between August 2005 and November 2009, healthcare staff in England
and Wales reported 15 serious incidents in which tourniquets had been
left on fingers
Tourniquet
or toes by mistake. Ten patients
System
needed further surgery
and Ideal two for incidents single or bi-lateral resulted orthopaedic in amputation. surgery At least six of the incidents
and pain management
related to surgical gloves being used Premier as tourniquets.’
• OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode)
technology for a brighter display
re-usable
Anetic • Dual, colour-coded Aid’s sterile, channels single-use Toe-niquetsTM and robust for were already specifically
long term use
designed-for-purpose
• Automatic self-diagnostic checks
devices, and in light of the findings in this report,
• Superbly manoeuvrable and stable with
another
integral stand
feature
and built-in accessory
was
storage
added. It’s a simple Six-use Day tag attached by a nylon tie
• Self-compensating
Tourniquet
which makes Toe-niquetsTM even easier Cuffs for practitioners to remove
• Visual and audible warnings
limited life,
easy to clean
from • IVRA a (Bier’s patient, block) guidance post feature procedure.
Innovative technology – practically applied
For more information about Anetic Aid Toe-niquetsTM - or other items
Single-use,
in the AT4 Tourniquet and accessories Sterile range - see aneticaid.com or ring
Tourniquet
01943 878647
Cuffs
Suggested illustration combination of:
T 01943 878647 sales@aneticaid.com
Sapper Jordan Rossi Business Park,
Otley Road, Baildon BD17 7AX
aneticaid.com
Tourniquet
Cuffs
and cost
effective
providing
sterility when
the risk of
infection is key
Therefore, the hospital is deemed liable.
And that liability can be running up colossal costs. The annual amount
set aside for NHS negligence claims is now standing at £65 billion.
Negligence and liability are words that can sometimes lose their
meaning – until a theoretical case becomes reality.
Effective risk management is essential to protect patients and
healthcare providers. Therefore, policy compliance and national
standards are important considerations that everyone should address.
To discuss our training programmes, qualifications and professional
standards in further detail, please contact us.
Jane Bruce, Tel: +44(0) 141 946 6482
E-mail: jane@healthcareskills.com
Availability of diamorphine
(5mg and 10mg)
In the last edition of its newsletter CQC informed readers of a
manufacturing issue with one of the suppliers of diamorphine 5mg
and 10mg injection.
Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and NHS England
(NHSE) have continued to work with Accord and their supplier
in Germany and the manufacture of diamorphine 5mg and 10mg
injection will soon resume with an anticipated resupply date
of beginning of September 2018. DHSC and NHSE have also been
working with the remaining supplier, Wockhardt, to support the
supply issue. Wockhardt have been able to increase their production
of diamorphine 5mg and 10mg but were unable to support the
entire market in July and August.
When responding to articles please quote ‘OTJ’
Did YOU know you can read and download the
larger, digital version of The Operating Theatre
Journal for FREE every month?
Simply register at the top right hand corner of
otjonline.com and you’ll receive a notification
every time the next issue is available.
The simple way to stay up to date!
Find out more 02921 680068 • e-mail admin@lawrand.com Issue 336 September 2018 5