MES agreement ensures Britain's largest new hospital keeps up with technology

Published: 13-Aug-2012

Royal London Hospital enters into 35-year partnership for imaging systems


The increasing popularity of managed equipment services (MES) contracts as a way of ensuring continued access to state-of-the-art medical technologies despite dwindling finances has led to imaging improvements at the Royal London Hospital.

Barts Health NHS Trust, which runs the hospital, has installed a range of new imaging and medical systems via a 35-year MES partnership with Siemens Healthcare. Of the 27 systems installed, which include CT, MRI, ultrasound, fluoroscopy, lithotripter and general X-ray solutions, 15 are from Siemens’ portfolio.

As Britain’s largest new hospital, The Royal London Hospital requires leading-edge imaging systems to provide innovative diagnostic solutions while keeping pace with high patient volume. Improved equipment uptime, clear financial planning with a predetermined annual charge, and partnership working are some of the key benefits brought about by the MES approach.

The partnership, which operates via a contract with the special purpose company, Capital Hospitals, provides a performance-based contract and delivers an agreed programme for equipment provision and renewal on a pre-agreed schedule. All equipment concerns such as replacement and maintenance are also taken care of, allowing clinicians to focus on patient care with the added reassurance that systems will keep pace with evolving healthcare technology.

The Siemens equipment installed includes three MRI systems - a MAGNETOM Verio 3.0 Tesla and two MAGNETOM Avanto 1.5 Tesla systems; four CT systems - two SOMATOM Definition Flash, one SOMATOM Definition AS and one SOMATOM Sensation 64 system; three Artis zee ceiling-mounted angiography systems; three Artis zee Multi-purpose fluoroscopy systems; and two Symbia T series TruePoint SPECT CTs.

Capital Hospitals has also entered into similar agreements with Skanska Facilities Services, Carillion, Synergy Health, Skanska, Varian and HOK for areas including hard FM and waste services, sterile services, soft FM services, and architecture.

“We treat a number of inpatients and outpatients on the first floor of the hospital, and a large number of trauma and stroke patients on the ground floor,” said Matthew Trevail, senior superintendent for imaging at the Royal London Hospital.

“The MES partnership with Siemens has enabled us to acquire a large number of high-end systems at once, supporting those patients and departments throughout the hospital. We particularly appreciate the partnership approach as the MES team has close relationships with clinicians and frontline staff.”

“The MES partnership means clinicians can focus on their top priority – patient care”, said Ian Brookes, MES manager at Siemens Healthcare. “Siemens is responsible for current and future equipment concerns, offering the hospital the peace of mind of a secure investment and a rolling equipment replacement programme. A healthy partnership is key, providing hospitals with the latest technology to help support hospital workflow, productivity and patient care.”

You may also like