SMTL Blog
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SMTL have recently performed a project for NHS Supply Chain assessing the quality of a selection of single-use and reusable surgical instruments in accordance with the suite of British Standards BS 5194 Surgical instruments.
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SMTL, in a joint bid with NWSSP Procurement Services and Lymphoedema Network Wales, are delighted to have been chosen as a finalist in the Government Opportunities (GO) Excellence in Public Procurement Awards 2015/16.
The project which was submitted covered the procurement of lymphoedema compression garments for the Welsh NHS, and demonstrated joint working between Welsh Government, clinicians, Procurement Services, and SMTL, providing a range of products which met the clinical and technical requirements of the Welsh NHS, whilst also reducing variation, delivering cost savings, and complying with the Prudent Healthcare agenda of Welsh Government.
The winners of the award will be announced at the National GO Awards 2015/16 Award Ceremony, Manchester, on the 26th February.
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Health Minister praises Bridgend laboratory for keeping patients safe
SMTL were delighted to host Welsh Government Health Minister, Mark Drakeford, at SMTL on the 20th November 2014.
SMTL demonstrated the testing of lymphodema garments, and explained how during their test programme they uncovered some devices which, whilst being CE marked, did not meet the performance requirements of Welsh clinicians. This information is now being used by colleagues in the Welsh Procurement Service to purchase compression garments which meet clinical need, as part of the Prudent Healthcare agenda. They also discussed problems uncovered during surgical instrument testing, and finally updated the Minister on the recently completed Usability study which they undertook for the International Standards Organisation into non-Luer neuraxial connectors, which are designed to prevent wrong route injections and reduce the risk of patient harm and death.
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We are pleased to welcome two new staff to SMTL:
- Elise David - Quality Manager
- Jess Bodman - IT system administrator
Elise has previously worked in the pharmaceutical industry as a quality manager, as well as a spell in the NHS. She replaces Bruce Fisher who retired in August 2014, and who worked in the laboratory for over 30 years.
Jess has been working within ABMU Health Board in the SSD service for a number of years, and previously worked in Linux administration in the financial services industry. She replaces Matt Moore, who ran our IT system for 3 years and has gone on a role managing web servers for an international organisation.
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Dr Gavin Hughes, Physical testing Manager at SMTL, presented the results of SMTL's recent test programme for the All Wales contract for compression garments at the British Lymphology Society 2014 conference in Birmingham. Gavin won the "Best Newcomer" award, as this was the first time SMTL have presented at the BLS.
The presentation stirred a great deal of interest from both NHS staff and industry.
