SECTION 1: Hospital Demographics
1. Please indicate your trust/hospital type and type of care:
1. Trust/Hospital Type:
i) Acute
ii) Mental Health
iii) Community
iv) Ambulance
v) Other (please specify)
2. Type of Care:
i) Secondary
ii) Tertiary
iii) Other (please specify)
3. Total Number of Beds: Please indicate the total number of inpatient beds in your hospital, including all types (e.g., general, ICU, maternity) if applicable.
4. ICU/ITU Bed Count: How many beds are designated for intensive or high-dependency care?
5. Annual Admissions: Please provide the total number of patient admissions in the last calendar year. If exact figures are unavailable, please provide your best estimate.
SECTION 2: Procurement and Inventory Management
1. Formal Procurement Policies: Does your hospital have formal policies or guidelines for medical equipment procurement?
i) Yes (please provide a copy or summary)
ii) No
2. Designated Procurement Roles: Is there a designated individual or team responsible for managing the procurement of medical equipment? If yes, please provide the role(s) and a brief description of responsibilities.
i) Yes – Individual
ii) Yes – Team
iii) No
3. Inventory Review Frequency: How often is your medical equipment inventory reviewed for excess or unused items?
i) Monthly
ii) Quarterly
iii) Biannually
iv) Annually
v) Other (please specify)
4. Primary Sources for Procurement:
What are the primary sources for your medical equipment procurement?
Please indicate the proportion sourced from the NHS supply chain versus individual suppliers, and provide any additional details as applicable.
SECTION 3: Waste and Disposal
1. Excess/Expired Equipment:
What percentage of your medical equipment inventory was classified as excess, unused, or expired in the last 12 months?
Please provide a breakdown by equipment type, if available.
2. Disposal Responsibility: Is there a specific role or department responsible for overseeing the disposal of medical equipment? If yes, please provide the role(s) and responsibilities.
i) Yes – Individual
ii) Yes – Department
iii) No
3. Formal Disposal Policy: Does your hospital have a formal policy for the disposal of medical equipment?
i) Yes (please provide a copy or summary of any policies)
ii) No
4. Types of Commonly Disposed Equipment: Please specify the types of medical equipment most commonly disposed of due to expiry or non-use. Include examples and approximate percentages for each type, if possible.
i) Surgical instruments
ii) Diagnostic devices
iii) Monitoring equipment
iv) Imaging equipment
v) Other (please specify)
SECTION 4: Sustainability and Environmental Impact
1. Sustainability Initiatives: Does your hospital have a sustainability initiative for recycling, reuse, or redistribution of excess or unused medical equipment?
i) Yes (please provide details)
ii) No
2. Disposal of Excess or Expired Equipment: How does your hospital manage the disposal of excess, expired, or damaged equipment? Please provide a breakdown by disposal method and indicate the approximate amount (in tonnes) used per year for each method.
i) Recycling
ii) Donation
iii) General waste
iv) Other (please specify)
SECTION 5: Policies and Compliance
1. Compliance with Disposal Guidelines: How does your hospital ensure compliance with national or NHS guidelines on the disposal and management of medical equipment?
i) Internal audits
ii) External audits
iii) Regular staff training
iv) Other (please specify)
2. Internal Audits of Equipment Management: Has your hospital conducted internal audits within the last 12 months to assess the management of excess medical equipment?
i) Yes (If yes, please indicate the frequency of audits and any key findings, if available)
ii) No