Imagine a situation whereby, following a routine weights and measures inspection, a local hospital is shown to have serious inadequacies which could be detrimental to patient care. The most serious is an error in accuracy on scales in the department of nuclear medicine, which is responsible for calculating radiation dosage to cancer patients. Other problems could include the use of uncontrolled / non-compliant equipment, including weighing scales purchased from high street chemists, and domestic kitchen scales being used in maternity / postnatal intensive care units. There could also be administrative problems with quality systems and consistency.

This not imagination-it's real! In one case, a young cancer patient weighing 12 kg was weighed on a scale with a division of 1 kg. When they re-weighed the patient a few hours later, they couldn't remember which scales had been used and the results showed an increase in weight, which they knew was not feasible. Although the scales had a calibration label, they were totally unsuitable for the application in terms of precision.

There has been significant publicity in the UK media of late relating to the problems associated with the use of inadequate and inaccurate scales within our hospitals. Problems do exist but the reporting has, in parts, been confusing. LACORS are now carrying out an indepth investigation into this matter and details of their proposals can be downloaded here >>>>>>

Don't wait to find out how suitable your medical scales are - Westco engineers can check your existing scales and advise on the best solution for a particular application.
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