Beechdale Health Centre
Disposable (Single Use) Instrument Policy
Document Control
A.Confidentiality Notice
This document and the information contained therein is the property of Beechdale Health Centre.
This document contains information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. It must not be used by, or its contents reproduced or otherwise copied or disclosed without the prior consent in writing from Beechdale Health Centre.
B.Document Details
Classification:Author and Role: / Jane Smith
Organisation: / Beechdale Health Centre
Document Reference: / DIP
Current Version Number: / 1
Current Document Approved By: / Jane Smith
Date Approved: / 11.03.2013
C.Document Revision and Approval History
Version / Date / Version Created By: / Version Approved By: / Comments1 / 11.03.2013 / Jane Smith / Arun Venogupal / All staff to read.
Introduction
This policy sets out the management of disposable instruments withinBeechdale Health Centre.
These single-use instruments guarantee a sterile instrument for each patient use – a guarantee not available for locally sterilised items.
Its purpose is to draw attention of managers and staff to the hazards and risks associated with reprocessing andreusing single use medical devices, and the legal issues involved.
Policy Statement
Because the reuse of a single use device is associated with significant risk, it is Practice policy that single use devices must never be reused or reprocessed.Any member of staff breaching this policy is liable to be the subject of disciplinary action.
Potential risks include that of cross-infection through inadequate decontamination andmechanical damage due to exposure of the device to heat or chemical decontamination agents.All equipment must therefore be used strictly according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Definitions
Single Use
“The medical device is intended for use once, on an individual patient for a single procedure, andthen should be discarded. It should not be reprocessed or reused again, even on the samepatient.”
The labelling identifies the device as disposable and not intended to be reprocessed and used again and all single use instruments are marked with the following international symbol which is the designated symbol for “Single Use” only.
This indicates that the material performs well on its first use, however may degrade if treated, increasing the risk of breakage or infection / contamination.
Single Patient Use
The medical device can be used for more than one episode on one patient only. The device will need to be decontaminated between each use. The manufacturer must state how the device should be decontaminated and how many times the device can be used prior to disposal.
Re-useable
The medical device can be used for repeated episodes of use on different patients, but will needto be decontaminated appropriately between each episode of use, to the manufacturer’sinstructions.
Safety Issues
A single use device will not be validated for reuse and may be made in such a way that any reprocessing may damage or alter it to the extent of making it unsafe to reuse.
Most problems caused by inappropriate re-use of a single use device fall into one or more of the following categories:
Potential for cross infection
Infection is one of the greatest patient safety concerns associated with re-use. The risk of infection will increase if the device cannot be effectively decontaminated.
Inadequate cleaning and decontamination
The cleaning process must access all parts of the device to enable complete decontamination and at the end of the process the cleaning agents must be completely removed. This process should be validated, to establish that it will consistently provide the required results. Examples of features of the device that may make cleaning difficult are narrow lumens and specialist coatings.
Material alteration
Exposure to heat or chemical agents may cause corrosion, degradation or other changes in the material of the device.
Mechanical failure
Some devices may experience stress if repeatedly reprocessed, leading to fatigue-induced failure and fracturing, e.g. single use drill burs.
Residues from chemical decontamination agents
Plastic devices may absorb chemicals which may leak out over time, resulting in chemical burns or sensitisation to the patient.
Disposal of single use equipment
Single use equipment must be disposed of following the Practice’s Clinical Waste Disposal Policy.
All used single-use instruments are legally defined as clinical waste and therefore must be disposed of via clinical waste sacks.
Items such as scissors or those instruments with pointed ends should be disposed of in the “Sharps” bin maintained for this purpose.
Management & Supply
The Practice Nurse and Practice Manager (in the practice nurse absence) are responsible for ordering all single use instruments used by the Practice, including the compilation of a list of bona-fide suppliers, and the requirement to obtain the best price / value for money in relation to the items purchased.
S/He will actively source alternative suppliers / buying groups / equipment ordering terms and conditions (including minimum orders and carriage charges) and will switch orders to where more advantageous terms can be found.
The Practice Nurseis responsible for Practice stocks and the maintenance of minimum supplies, includingoriginating orders to maintain agreed stock levels and receiving of stocks on arrival.
The Practice Nursewill ensure correct rotation of stock within the stated expiry dates.
Storage
The Practice Nurse will be responsible for storage of all single use instruments and will adopt the following procedure:
- Verifying new stock received is damage free.
- Splitting stock related to the different types of instrument.
- Ensuring each instrument type is stored within its sterile wrapping “in an airtight, clear plastic container,which is clearly labelled with the name of the instrument type”
- Ensuring each location will contain a supply of suitably labelled containers where storage is required in more than one room or location.
The practice nursewill ensure that the instruments are used on a “first in first out” basis and will monitor expiry dates accordingly.
Stock will be checked on at least a monthly basis to ensure that adequate numbers are available.
Each doctoris responsible for a daily check of each Consulting Room prior to morning surgery, to ensure that minimum stocks of essential items are available. Practice nurse will monitor stock levels weekly.
She will also check treatment rooms used for minor surgery, prior to the commencement of each session.
Implementing the Policy within the Practice
All staff employed by the Practice must follow this policy.
The Practice Nurseis responsible for ensuring that staff are aware of, read and understand this policy and sign the attached signature sheet.
Training
The Practice Nurseis responsible for staff training on this Policy and it will be an integral part of the New Staff Induction Procedure.
Monitoring Compliance
Compliance with this policy will be monitored annually by Audit, which will be undertaken by Practice Manager.
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