Devices in Practice - a guide for health and social care professionals

Introduction
Medical devices play a crucial role in care and treatment. The number and variety of medical devices is vast and professionals handle a wide range of devices every day in their practice. As the Agency responsible for making sure that medical devices are safe and fit for purpose, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has prepared this booklet which provides a practical guide to medical devices for all health and social care professionals, and pharmacists working in acute, primary care, and social care sectors.

This booklet is for:

• health and social care professionals working in all areas including acute care, primary care, community care (or care at home), care homes, care homes with nursing and private healthcare systems
• health and social care organisations as they develop policies and protocols for the use and management of medical devices
• pharmacists in acute, primary care and social care settings
• voluntary and charitable organisations who provide devices direct to individuals or health and social care organisations.

It contains a series of practical checklists to help ensure informed procurement and the safe use of medical devices.

Some individuals buy their own medical devices privately through pharmacies or other sources and, increasingly, on the Internet. In these circumstances it is the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the medical devices are appropriately used, maintained and ultimately disposed of.

You can order printed copies of this guidance via the Department of Health Publications Orderline (external link), quoting product code DIP01.