Medical equipment in Stepping Hill Hospital and the community are now getting better support thanks to a department overhaul and investment in improved testing equipment.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust’s EBME (Electrical and Biomedical Engineering)  department now have a number of dedicated new engineering staff, and state-of-the-art new equipment which can test the safety of medical equipment on the wards  both faster and more accurately.

New testing devices, which carry out the role of a simulated patient, allow the team to be mobile, enabling them to visit hospital wards and departments to carry out tests on equipment such as ECG devices, blood pressure testers and oxygen machines.

Previously, ward staff would have to take their equipment over to the EBME department elsewhere on the hospital site themselves. The new way of working ensures machines are back up and running sooner, and saves time for both ward staff and the EBME team themselves.

The new machines, purchased for around £40,000, have a higher degree of accuracy too, and are an improvement in patient safety.

At the trust’s latest Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection last year there was some criticism of the standard of equipment maintenance at the hospital. In addition to the enhanced new equipment, the re-launched team have put improved processes in place in terms of repair procedures, logging systems, security and ensuring infection prevention. The department rooms themselves have also been redesigned to ensure better efficiency.

Trust Deputy Chief Executive Hugh Mullen said “Maintaining medical machinery is a very important part of providing good quality care at both Stepping Hill Hospital and our community services, so the role of the EBME team is crucial.  We’re delighted to have made these improvements to ensure our equipment is always working as well as it can, as soon as we can.”