A couple of weeks ago we launched our Spending Smarter Together campaign which aims to get every one of us to make better choices every day to help us meet our significant financial challenge.

Today, our Head Nurse for Medicine, Vanessa Dickinson, shares how the careful use of Non-Invasive Ventilators (NIPPY4s), can help us save wasted money.

The NIPPY4 machines are used in our respiratory support units (RSUs), our Acute Floors and the Emergency Departments.

Each machine costs £5,750 to buy, and can cost up to £1,900 to repair. In the past year alone the Trust has spent almost £43,000 on replacements or repairs, the majority of which could have been avoided.

Vanessa said: “In the past 18 months four NIPPY4s have been misplaced and have had to be replaced. And many of the machines are constantly broken.

“The equipment is fairly small, roughly handbag size, and most of our repairs are needed because they haven’t been handled carefully.

“Handles can snap off or the machines are often dropped on the floor. We also must repair them if the filter isn’t cleaned and sometimes they are damaged or lost as they aren’t correctly stored.

“Spending Smarter Together isn’t just about new spending – it’s about being careful with the equipment we already own, just like we would do at home.”

If you spot a fault with a NIPPY machine, please contact Clinical Engineering HRI ext. 2543 or CRH ext. 2536. If you’d like support and guidance on using the machine, please contact Respiratory Specialist Nurse, Julie Kaye, or Clinical Educator, Nicola Clark.