Seminar examines obsolescence in medical sector

A seminar aims to help healthcare professionals and medical device suppliers deal with the growing problem of how vital equipment can be maintained in service if components within it become obsolete.

A seminar to help healthcare professionals and medical device suppliers deal with the growing problem of how vital equipment can be maintained in service if components within it become obsolete is to be hosted by the Component Obsolescence Group (COG).

Darian McBain, Head of the NHS Sustainability, Purchasing and Supply Agency will give the keynote speech at the seminar, which will be held at the Department of Trade and Industry Conference Centre in London at 0930 BST on Thursday 7th July 2005.

Explains Michael Trenchard, Chief Executive of COG: "As the pace of technological change speeds up, smaller, faster and more flexible new components are continually being designed".

"Although this is positive progress since it can give medical equipment improved functionality, the down side is that component lifespans become shorter".

"Since healthcare budgets do not allow frequent replacement of existing devices, which in many cases still perform well, maximising their useful life expectancy is crucial".

"However, if parts become obsolete, expensive and vital equipment in need of repair may have to be taken out of service temporarily or even permanently".

"Even if replacement parts can be tracked down, they could be several times the original cost, and then there could be additional man-hours involved if parts of the equipment need to be redesigned to accommodate them".

COG says that this could put severe strain on often already stretched resources.

Cost and performance targets could be hit if waiting lists are lengthened and patient treatment put at risk.

In extreme cases, public confidence in the service provided could even be undermined.

Therefore active management to identify and mitigate problems is key.

Adds Trenchard: "In addition to the difficulties in providing adequate after-sales maintenance which many suppliers may face, obsolescence can actually cause problems at an even earlier stage and affect the whole supply chain".

"Components may become obsolete even before the equipment they are to go into is ready for production".

"Designers may find they can no longer use particular technologies, and manufacturing lines could be disrupted if they cannot procure vital parts".

Key topics under discussion at the event will include: "The effect of component obsolescence on long life equipment", by Roger Rogowski, QinetiQ; "Causes of obsolescence and the need to manage it", by William King, Elekta; "Obsolescence management principles", by Ian Blackman, Dionics; and "Analysis of the costs of operation", by Peter Marston, Rochester Electronics.

The seminar costs GBP 85 plus VAT, and interested parties can register on the COG website.

Comments Michael Trenchard: "Although component obsolescence is having an increasing impact on both medical equipment suppliers and healthcare providers, the message we are getting is that it remains largely unquantified and uncontrolled in the sector today".

"However, since it is an issue which has already affected a wide variety of other sectors which rely on expensive, long-lifespan equipment, there is a substantial bank of knowledge about the issues and solutions which can be applied to help them mitigate potential problems".

"These will be shared at this seminar".

It was to provide a forum for the discussion of obsolescence issues that COG was originally set up in 1997 in response to rising concerns.

It enables members from across a range of industries to share information and solutions by running workshops, seminars and conferences, and it has also formed working groups dedicated to addressing key issues.

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