How can the medical technologies industry help to support the Ambulance Services in this enhanced role?
Again, it comes down to equipment being suitable for the context of use. Medical equipment manufacturers have to be aware of transport, carriage and access issues. The more urgent medical care takes place in people’s homes, in the street or while travelling on the road, the more vital it will be for medical equipment to be effective in these non-hospital environments. When paramedics are called out to people’s homes, they need to act quickly. Sometimes they’re carrying major equipment like ECG monitors, as well as bags filled with other equipment, and they’re loaded down like pack horses. This in itself poses a health and safety risk to both the staff and the patient. If they leave equipment back in the ambulance, that has obvious risks as well. If the patient is on the 13th floor of a block of flats, whether the lift is working or not, the return to the ambulance could cost a life. So to sum up: it’s about fitness for the purpose and context of use. The equipment items need to be smal
