With shrinking NHS budgets, it can be difficult for hospitals and medical practices to decide where and when to spend their precious funds on medical equipment and supplies. Last year, Health Minister Simon Burns revealed that alternative ways of buying supplies and equipment could save the NHS £1.2 billion, which could then be reinvested in patient care.

It’s not just the expensive medical diagnostic equipment that will save the pounds either. Simple things such as changing their supplier for latex gloves and sutures can also make a real difference. As well as medical equipment, Mr Burns also wants the NHS to look at its suppliers for catering and energy.

A £300 million cash fund has been established by the Department of Health, together with the NHS Supply Chain, in order to enable the NHS to save money by bulk buying large equipment, including ultrasound machines, MRI scanners, CT scanners and technology relating to cancer treatment. This has allowed the NHS to save £11 million already.

The NHS has previously found it difficult to control its buying and spending power because there was a lack of knowledge between local hospitals about what equipment was needed.

Speaking about the issue, Mr Burns said: “Waste is unacceptable when we know there are simple solutions. That is why the NHS needs to buy smarter and get the best value for the taxpayer for every penny spent.

“We know that at least £1.2 billion could be saved over the next four years if the NHS innovatively changes the way it buys good and services. Already, over £11 million has been saved through bulk-buy discounts on the cash fund. This is the first step to better, smarter procurement in the NHS and we will be working closely with hospital trusts over the next six months to help them save even more money that can be reinvested in patient care.”

MRI and CT scanners only have a recommended life of about ten years, at which point they need updating or replacing. The NHS estimate that around 200 of these items will need replacing over the next couple of years and so significant discounts will be able to be made through bulk buying deals.

The Cash Fund investment allows the NHS Supply Chain to secure these bulk buying deals with suppliers. The Managing Director of Business Solutions for NHS Supply Chain, Andy Brown, said: “This important development will allow NHS Supply Chain to group together the purchasing power of the NHS for this vital equipment, make large commitments to suppliers and bring improved planning to the management and replacement of this equipment across the NHS and with suppliers.”

Of course, it is not just on the big ticket items where money can be saved. By working hard to save costs in every aspect of the NHS, from supplies of medical gloves through to large diagnostic equipment, the money saved can be reinvested in improving services and quality of care for patients, something which the NHS badly needs following recent devastating reports surrounding Stafford Hospital.

Ensuring health and safety in the workplace needs to be a primary concern of every employer. It is an employer’s legal obligation to ensure that all workers are provided with a safe working environment, and any specialist equipment they need to protect themselves from potential hazards. Some equipment, supplies and procedures only need to be in place in certain workplaces, where there is a particular risk or hazard. However, others need to be present in every workplace in the UK, and it is these which we are going to run through here.

1. First Aid Supplies
Anyone can suffer a first aid emergency at any time in any place, and trying to provide a solution for all of these would be impossible. However, you can prepare for the most common by having first aid kits at your place of work. While there is no required list of items that your first aid kit should contain, for a low hazard workplace (such as a regular office), you should aim for the first aid contents to include around 20 individually wrapped sterile plasters in different sizes, two sterile eye pads, four individually wrapped triangular bandages, six safety pins, two large, individually wrapped sterile wound dressings (unmedicated) and a pair of disposable gloves. Tablets and medicines are not necessary, as it is not advised to hand out medication to others as it could cause an allergic reaction.

2. Appointed First Aid Person
As well as a basic kit, all workplaces need an appointed first aid person. This can be someone who is trained in first aid (advised) but if you decide that this is not necessary, then someone needs to take responsibility for the workplace’s first aid arrangements, such as reporting any incidents and keeping the first aid kit stocked. While there is no legislation on how many first aiders or appointed persons are required, it is advised that for a low hazard workplace, there should be at least one appointed person for workplaces with 25 persons or under, one first-aider trained in Emergency First Aid at Work for workplaces with 25-50 employees, and one trained in First Aid at Work for every 100 employees in workplaces where there are more than 50.

3. Fire Extinguishers
Fire extinguishers are essential for if a fire breaks out in your workplace, and you should make sure that you have the appropriate extinguishers for the environment to hand. For example, a water extinguisher is not suitable for an area where there is electrical equipment. There should also be an appointed fire warden to help direct people out of the building in an emergency situation, although they should not attempt to tackle the fire themselves unless they feel it is safe to do so.

4. Exit Signage
In cases of emergency, there should be plentiful and suitable signage to the location of emergency exits. These may require emergency lighting for when there is a power cut or be reflective. If emergency exits are only used in an emergency, staff and visitors may not know where the nearest to them is.