Focusing on patient safety

Patient safety has been a focus for the National Infusion and Vascular Access Society (NIVAS) over the past few months and we have been privileged to work alongside NHS England and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on issues relating to IV therapy and vascular access.

We started the year with a problem related to infusion pumps. This related to the sterilisation of giving sets for the Alaris pump. This issue, which is now in the recovery phase, has highlighted the need for organisations to consider how they can avoid being totally reliant on one particular brand of equipment used for the delivery of IV therapy. In fact, the use of only one particular company as a supplier for all IV and vascular access systems has been a problem in my own organisation, and I know from speaking to NIVAS members that it is a problem for other hospitals too.