Buyers in all sectors recognise the importance of managing an effective supply chain. Companies are working harder than ever to keep costs down, whilst at the same time ensuring that the all important quality standards are met.

This is particularly important in our industry, the manufacture of Medical Devices. At Platts & Nisbett we recognise the importance of quality, and our surgical instruments speak for themselves. On paper our ISO13485 Certificate proves it, but is this the case with all your suppliers?

It’s that time of year again, and Companies from all over the world are looking forward to their annual trip to the Medica Trade Fair. At Platts & Nisbett we are busy finalising the last minute details and putting the finishing touches to our busy schedule. The trip itself is an ideal opportunity to catch up with friends, colleagues and distributors both old and new, and also learn about exciting new products and opportunities.

Here are some interesting facts about Medica, the world forum for medicine…

1. The first Medica was held in 1969.

The inventor of Stainless Steel, Harry Brearley was born in Sheffield in 1871. He was the son of a steel melter, and left school at the age of twelve to begin work in a laboratory washing bottles. In his own time he undertook private study and attended night school, becoming an expert in the analysis of steel and its production. After establishing a reputation for solving metallurgical problems, Brearley was given an opportunity to set up the Brown Firth Laboratories in 1908. This was financed by two leading Sheffield steel companies, and was a revolutionary idea for its time.

Over the last few months we have received a number of calls from people to ask our advice on corrosion issues. The best advice we can give would be to ensure that any surgical instruments are only purchased via reputable companies. However, it is also useful to understand the processes which are involved in their manufacture. To protect surgical instruments from corrosion, it is essential that a documented passivation procedure is followed by the manufacturer.

Sheffield, named after the River Sheaf which runs through the city, was described as the “Great Industrial Powerhouse”. It became well known for its heavy steel and cutlery industries, with the earliest records dating back to 1297 when a tax return belonging to Robert the Cutler was filed.

Sheffield’s natural assets meant it was ideally suited to this type of industry. The valleys with streams gave access to water power, the crags provided grit stone for producing grinding wheels, and the availability of iron ore provided the basic raw material.

1960, First kidney transplant

An Edinburgh doctor, Michael Woodruff, performs the first UK transplant involving an identical set of twins.

The BBC has discovered that poor quality surgical instruments which are not fit for purpose are being supplied to the NHS. Panorama has found that this imported substandard equipment can put patients at risk, by causing life threatening infections and injuries. Faults include rough edges, steel burrs, and corroded metals – any of which will have serious implications if used in an operating theatre.

As one of the few UK manufacturers, Platts & Nisbett has always put quality at the forefront of everything we do. We are hopeful that the recent feature on the BBC will help to raise awareness, and highlight problems at procurement level within some NHS Trusts. We strongly believe that all manufacturers and suppliers of this type of equipment should be subject to quality checks – not just of paperwork but of the instruments themselves. Without mandatory inspections how can patient safety be properly protected?

Michael Debakey, the pioneering cardiac surgeon was born 7th September 1908. His parents were Lebanese immigrants who influenced his choice of career from an early age. He was inspired to undertake medical training after listening to conversations in his father’s pharmacy, and during his career he later went on to credit much of his surgical success to his mother, for teaching him to sew and knit as a child.

On the 24th August 79AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted explosively, burying Pompeii under a crust of volcanic ash. For the next seventeen centuries the city would remain lost, forgotten and preserved, sealed in a time capsule. Since excavations began in 1748, Pompeii was gradually revealed – street by street, building by building, room by room, providing an unparalleled record of life in the Roman Empire.