‘Obsolete, damaged and clinically unacceptable’
Damning audit in Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital reveals that modern laser treatments are not available - while equipment is out of date
ONE of the country’s busiest hospitals was using equipment that was obsolete and ‘clinically unacceptable’ and an ultrasound scanner that had been in use for double its recommended service years.
Beaumont Hospital in Dublin warned of ‘very high risks’ from the potential failure of a national system for the monitoring of patients with epilepsy, documents obtained under Freedom of Information (FOI) Acts reveal.
The hospital also said its computer system was based on obsolete Windows 7 software which was incompatible with new technology.
The hospital prepared a log for the HSE of equipment that needed to be replaced and warned: ‘This is a critical service and a national service. The potential for failures arising from incompatibility between new hardware and an old operating system poses very high risks for continuity of the service.’
Another system for sending X-ray images in the Emergency Department was based on a computer system said to be transmitting a ‘large number of computer viruses’ across the hospital and the networks of the HSE. Beaumont said the equipment was now 14 years old and obsolete and that there were delays in getting spare parts to repair it.
An ultrasound scanner was described as ‘clinically unacceptable’. The hospital said the scanner was showing signs of ‘terminal wear and tear’ and that the need for a replacement was ‘critical’.
The log of equipment requirements found: ‘Probes damaged and investment in replacement not economically viable due to cost and the scanner’s performance.’
Two neuro-navigation systems – used in complex neurosurgery – were described as ‘clinically obsolete and sub-optimal’.
In its request to the HSE, Beaumont said the technology it was using was old and had been superseded by modern innovations.
‘Replacement will result in improved accuracy, speed, additional functionality, improved surgical outcomes and improved work-flow integration,’ said the log.
The hospital also noted that highsupport wheelchairs needed to be replaced, with one described as being out of order and beyond repair.
The hospital said the wheelchairs had been discontinued, most of the spare parts required were no longer available and the Irish Wheelchair Association was not in a position to supply them either.
The log noted test boxes for hearing aids were 13 years old and that the ‘unit is clinically obsolete and not fit for purpose’.
It described laser technology for treating cancer patients as ‘very limited in its clinical application’.
The hospital said laser technology had advanced considerably in the 13 years that the equipment had been in use, with many patients requiring a certain type of surgery for laryngeal cancer.
The log said: ‘With improved laser technology we would also be able to operate on oropharyngeal tonsillar cancers. Currently, all of these patients receive radiation therapy instead.’
Some other equipment, including microscopes and audiometers for measuring hearing, was already 20 years old, according to Beaumont. A 14-year-old ultrasound system was also costing a considerable amount in a service contract for what was old equipment that was
‘The scanner had signs of terminal wear and tear’
now ‘double its normal replacement age. It is uneconomical to maintain in clinical use,’ said the log.
A statement from Beaumont said staff at the hospital compile a list of all equipment needing replacement for the HSE every November.
The hospital added: ‘They identify equipment based on its age and maintenance support from suppliers. The equipment is ranked based on priority replacement, as mandated by the HSE, before submitting the listing. A decision on funding allocation is received from the HSE by the end of February. Any items from the listing that are not approved are kept on the list for submission the following year.’