National initiatives for medical devices and equipment are being initiated across the UK to improve traceability, stock availability, organisational efficiencies and crucially, patient safety.
The Product Information Management (PIM) database and the National Equipment Tracking Information System (NETIS) are two key initiatives under the Department of Health and Social Care’s (DHSC) medtech strategy. Each system is designed to improve the national traceability of medical devices and equipment respectively.
Data consistency: a national challenge
One key challenge across the health system is achieving a national view of product and equipment information.
Product data is often held in different places and captured in varying formats. This can lead to poor-quality data, inconsistent product identification and repeated information requests which limits interoperability across regulatory, catalogue, procurement and clinical systems.
Without consistent ways to identify products and locations across health systems, it becomes difficult to build a consistent national view of product and equipment information, performance and availability.
The PIM, led by the DHSC, and NETIS, led by NHS Supply Chain, are being developed to address these very challenges.
Find out more about PIM and NETIS via the links below.
