Equipped to Care - The safe use of medical devices in the 21st Century

Medical devices and equipment are used everyday by most health care professionals to support the care and treatment of patients. Professionals play a vital role in ensuring that equipment is used safely and for the purpose it was intended.

The aims of this booklet are to:

• help nurses, midwives, health visitors, other health care professionals and support workers understand their role in the safe use, purchase and management of medical devices
• provide managers with pointers to best practice for training , purchase and maintenance of medical devices
• ensure that arrangements for purchase, use and maintenance of medical devices are firmly embedded within the local framework for clinical governance
• raise awareness about the role of the Medical Devices Agency (MDA) now the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and how it can provide advice and guidance to support the safe use of medical devices.