Media Centre :: Press Release
01/04/03
NAO - A Safer Place to Work
ABHI calls for wider use of sharps-protected products
London The ABHI
(Association of British Health-Care Industries) welcomes the
emphasis placed on the role needlesticks and sharps injuries play
in staff absence. The NAO report A Safer Place to work,
Improving the management of health and safety risks to staff in NHS
trusts, confirms that NHS staff absence through workplace
injury is a major problem costing taxpayers in the region of £1
billion per annum.
According to the report, that needlesticks and sharps injuries are
still one of the four main types of accidents in hospitals. This is
a major worry for ABHI's ESI (Elimination of Sharps Injuries) Group
that has been working for a safer working environment for NHS
personnel for a number of years.
David Oates, Chairman of the ESI said "Trusts should accept the
need to evaluate the use of safety-improved technologies and
include them in their improvement programmes - safer needles and
sharps protection products are widely available but are not being
used sufficiently widely."
Gordon Aylward, Director-General of the ABHI commented: "The NAO
has highlighted a dangerous situation. The recommendations need to
be properly integrated with the development of purchasing policy
and proper consideration needs to be given to manufacturing
solutions that will help ease the burden of staff absentism on the
NHS."
Colin Morgan, Chairman of ABHI and Managing Director of Ethicon Ltd
said: "There is a central role for medical technology to the NHS of
high profile and high cost compensation claims. It is also clear
form the report that there is significant under reporting of
needle-stick related injuries. ABHI members, as the innovative
suppliers to the NHS, look forward to a close partnership with the
Department of Health and the NHS to achieve a lower incidence of
work-related injury in the NHS."
According to industry estimates, UK expenditure on medical
technologies as a percentage of total NHS healthcare expenditure is
4.2%, compared with the European average of 6.4%, while investment
in Pharmaceuticals3 is 12.3%. Since the vision is to deliver a
world-class service, ABHI are keen to emphasise that the huge
funding increase announced in the 2002 April Budget must translate
into an increased spending to boost spending into safer eqipment
for NHS personnel.
Notes for editors: * The Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI) is the lead trade association for the medical systems industry. This sector comprises not only manufacturers of medical devices, equipment and consumables, but also service companies, distributors, professional groups (such as regulatory consultants and lawyers), and other suppliers to the medical community.
* The ABHI represents approx. 200 member companies with a total domestic turnover of about £3 billion representing approx. 80% of the industry output.
* The membership currently includes several Special Interest Sections and four sectoral trade associations, which in turn have a further 400 member companies.
* Member list: www.abhi.org.uk
* The role of the Association is to:
- Advance and promote medical systems (devices, equipment, technologies and services) within the UK and globally.
- Provide a forum for policy discussion with the industry's customers, legislators, public bodies and interested groups.
For further information contact:
Daniel Jones: 020 7960 4360
Email: daniel.jones@abhi.org.uk
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