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Safe Use and Care of Reusable Medical Equipment and Devices in Care Homes Policy

Policy Statement

This policy describes how this care service ensures that it uses any reusable medical equipment or device safely and effectively in line with the applicable standards of care and treatment and health and safety requirements.

The home works on the principle that all medical equipment and devices are used and reused properly in line with best practice guidance and statutory requirements.

This policy should be read and used in relation to other cleanliness and infection control policies, particularly the Decontamination of Reusable Equipment and Devices Policy.

Definitions

{{org_field_name}} understands “medical devices” to describe equipment which is usually used for providing healthcare interventions such as:

• equipment used in diagnosis or healthcare monitoring, such as thermometers and blood pressure monitors, blood sugar meters and lancing devices
• sterile equipment used in wound care, such as forceps, surgical scissors, pots, dressings, etc
• equipment used in the provision of therapy or treatment, such as syringes, needles, infusion pumps, catheters, etc
• bed rails, hoists and slings.

The home understands “reusable medical devices” to refer to equipment that can be used more than once, “reuse” implying some form of reprocessing between use, ranging from a simple washing of the item to a full cleaning and sterilisation process.

{{org_field_name}} recognises that such equipment is distinct from “single-use” medical devices which are equipment that the manufacturer does not consider suitable for more than a single use.

Procedures

In {{org_field_name}}, medical devices should:

1. be made available as and when needed by people who use the service
2. be supplied with the necessary technical information so that the risk of using them incorrectly is minimised
3. only be procured from reliable sources if they meet the necessary legal and safety requirements
4. only be adapted or modified in line with manufacturer’s instructions or guidance
5. be permanently installed where appropriate, in accordance with manufacturer’s requirements and published guidance
6. only be used by the person who uses the service they are intended for, or by staff, once they know how to use and operate them correctly
7. be monitored while being used; action should be taken if they do not appear to be working correctly
8. be routinely maintained in line with the manufacturer’s instructions and repaired when they break down by people who are competent to do so
9. be cleaned, sterilised or reprocessed in line with the manufacturer’s published guidance and instructions
10. be disposed of or recycled safely and securely.

In meeting the requirements of this policy, care home managers and staff should:

1. consider any guidance or usage warnings from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
2. carefully consider the health and safety implications of any equipment before fitting or purchase and base the use of all such equipment on an appropriate risk assessment
3. identify, assess and then manage the risks involved
4. make sure that equipment and tools are suitable for the task and are well maintained
5. ensure that it is used properly
6. train all employees to use and store the equipment or tools appropriately
7. consider whether employees could use different equipment or tools where the risks are lower
8. consider what will happen in the event of electricity, water or gas supply failure, or other emergencies that affect equipment
9. actively listen to the preferences of the person receiving care, and thoughts about the equipment they need and how it is used
10. support the person who uses the service to understand how and why the equipment is being used
11. take care in the way they use the equipment to make sure the person is comfortable and safe
12. use the equipment in a way that ensures people who use the service’s privacy and dignity at all times.

Single-use Equipment

A single-use device is defined as one that should only be used on one person during a single procedure then discarded. It should not be reprocessed and used again, even on the same person. This should not be confused with “single-patient” use devices, which may be used more than once on the same person and can undergo reprocessing.

In {{org_field_name}}:

1. devices designed for single use must not be reused except in emergency circumstances where there is no alternative. Such exceptional usage should be made only after a suitable risk assessment and should be reported as an untoward incident
2. used single-use devices should be considered to be clinical waste and must be disposed of in accordance with clinical waste laws and regulations.

Equipment Failure

The home has in place clear arrangements for adverse events, incidents, errors and near-miss reporting that relates to the use of medical devices.

{{org_field_name}} manager should ensure that these arrangements are robustly and fully implemented and that all such equipment failures are recorded as an untoward incident and an investigation held to look at possible ramifications, pointers for the future and lessons for procurement.

All medical devices that are suspected to be defective must be removed from use immediately and the circumstances of the failure fully investigated. Equipment should be referred for repair or replacement as required and where necessary retained for further investigation by an appropriate agency such as the MHRA.

All MHRA warning notices should be circulated to all relevant staff.

Implementation

All staff are responsible for the implementation of this policy. Overall responsibility for ensuring the policy is implemented, monitored and reviewed rests with {{org_field_name}} manager. Information on the policy will be:

• circulated to all staff
• provided to all new employees
• included in the Clinical Waste Policy, the Work Equipment Policy, the Infection Control Policy, the Sterilising of Equipment Policy, the Untoward Incidents Policy and the Single-Use Medical Devices Policy.

{{org_field_name}} manager should keep records of maintenance, servicing and adjustment or upgrading throughout the working life of each piece of equipment and whenever a fault occurs this should be corrected and full details noted. Instruction leaflets that accompany equipment should be stored conveniently and be made accessible.

Training

All staff will be trained in basic infection prevention and control measures in line with the home’s policies and procedures.

Staff with specific infection control responsibilities are provided with the relevant training for their role, duties and levels of responsibility.

All new staff will be expected to complete induction training which includes health and safety procedures.

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Responsible Person: {{org_field_registered_manager_first_name}} {{org_field_registered_manager_last_name}}

Reviewed on: {{last_update_date}}

Next Review Date: {{next_review_date}}

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