Location: Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Mindray’s service contract has saved Dorset County Hospital thousands on maintenance and provided welcome support for their small clinical engineering team.
As a long-term user of Mindray products and services, when it came time for Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust to decide on how to service its fleet, the Trust went with its favoured supplier. Dorset County Hospital has a huge range of Mindray products, including ECGs, ultrasound machines, defibrillators, anaesthesia machines and patient monitors, all of which Mindray can service and repair. The contract has since generated huge savings for the Trust and provided welcome support for the hospital’s clinical engineering team.
Challenges
- Allocating a comprehensive mix of Mindray support options to bolster the hospital’s small clinical engineering team
- Creating a contract around the Trust’s budget and individual device requirements
- Supporting the hospital’s entire fleet of Mindray devices including ECGs, ultrasound systems, defibrillators, anaesthesia machines and patient monitors
Saving money with predictable costs
Between the start of 2018 and the end of 2020, Dorset County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has saved £27,212 on maintenance costs with Mindray’s service plan. With transparent pricing suited to its device requirements, Dorset County Hospital has been able to better predict their expenditure during this period; allowing the Trust to allocate funds more efficiently. Urgent, reactive repair work is often the most expensive form of maintenance, and the most disruptive to budgetary planning, which is why the service contract mitigates those costs in two key ways. By providing regular preventative maintenance work, the hospital’s systems are better protected against sudden downtime and urgent repairs, while the fixed costs provide a clearer picture of expenditure. By fixing costs and paying annually the Trust made the largest savings on consumables and associated labour, such as acquiring new batteries.
The solution
- Comprehensive expertise: Mindray engineers know the entire product range inside out, and are certified to provide quality advice and support on all of Dorset’s Mindray devices.
- Designated local support: Mindray’s UK-based engineers provide easily accessible support, with Dorset assigned their own local technician for fast on-site responses.
- Technical phone & remote IT support: A mix of telephone and online support allows Dorset to receive updates, upgrades and expertise whenever the system requires.
- Fixed costs: The service contract was suited to the Trust’s budget requirements with fixed costs attached to the desired level of service for each product.
- Preventative maintenance: In addition to requested on-site visits, the hospital’s designated Mindray engineer carries out an annual preventative maintenance visit, performing in-depth checks on all suitable devices.
Outcomes
- Peace of mind: With preventative maintenance regularly carried out, the hospital’s small clinical engineering team can continue their work knowing their systems are running at optimal levels.
- Boosting uptime: The comprehensive mix of preventative work and reactive assistance has helped to support maximum device uptime.
- Saving time: Mindray’s phone accessibility and remote support mean that the hospital’s clinical engineers receive rapid assistance, freeing up time to focus on their daily routine.
- Predictable costs: With a service contract, the Trust can better assess its budget and make more informed fiscal decisions in future.
- Saving money: Dorset Hospital has made consistent savings across their range of devices and chosen support levels, particularly on consumables such as batteries.
Conclusion
With predictable costs and a contract tailored to its needs, the service contract allows the Trust to protect its equipment investment, while the clinical engineering team benefits from regular preventative maintenance and accessible UK-based support.
Overall, Mindray’s blend of technical phone support, on-site assistance and remote IT support has provided peace of mind for both the Trust and the clinical engineering department. The partnership allows caregivers and engineers alike to carry out their daily work with minimal disruptions, safe in the knowledge their systems are protected.
