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11. Replacement
11.1 Planned equipment replacement programme
Equipment must be condemned and replaced before it becomes
unreliable and endangers the patient, and it is recommended a
planned equipment replacement programme, which is phased
over a number of years, is prepared and continuously updated.
This should be planned in conjunction with Trust management
and the finance department. The choice of new equipment
can then be made after appropriate trials, and should take into
account department needs, such as plans for standardisation
and rationalisation (see section 6).
11.2 Timing of equipment replacement
Nationally recognised guidelines on the timing of equipment
replacement do not exist. Therefore it is recommended that
equipment be replaced when it has reached the end of an
agreed time-period, and in consultation with finance officers.
This time period will depend on the type of equipment that
needs replacing.
Replacement of electronic equipment should be considered at
five years and mechanical equipment at eight years. Financial
forecasting should take into account the agreed equipment life
cycle and budgets should be adjusted accordingly to ensure
replacement funding is available, thus avoiding delays and
potential associated patient risks. When delays are inevitable,
clinicians should seek, in writing, an ‘extension of use’ beyond
the agreed time-periods with the relevant medical and financial
officers.
In the past, many items of anaesthetic equipment were
mechanical. Today, most devices contain a high electronic
content, including software. This is placing an increasing burden
on equipment replacement budgets, owing to the increased
pace of obsolescence of electronic equipment.
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