More engineers needed to deliver health tech

A new report has claimed that healthcare providers need more engineers to handle new technology and rising patient numbers.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers says that the NHS faces a huge influx of new technology and a rise in patient numbers in coming years, but to deliver safe and affordable care there will need to be more engineers coming into the healthcare sector.

Engineers with both clinical and technical skills are needed to ensure that where medical technology and services are being used, they are the right tools for the situation, whether the patient is being treated at home or in hospital.

The institution’s report, Healthcare Solutions: elevating the engineering workforce, calls for healthcare engineers to have increased authority and decision-making powers to encourage recruitment and ensure new technology is designed and adopted in the safest, most effective way.

The NHS has a workforce of around 1.5 million people, but the number of clinical engineers is relatively small compared to this, around 3,000-3,500 professionals.

Dr Helen Meese, lead author of the report, said: “If we are to learn from global crises such as the Covid pandemic, it is that 21st century medicine can only be delivered with significant amounts of technology and, that care at home is just as critical as care in hospitals.

“Unlike clinicians there is little uniform recognition of engineers' contribution, particularly in the hospital environment. These engineers often operate at varying levels of authority and have limited input into critical decision-making.”

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers is also calling for government and healthcare providers to develop national ‘complete life-cycle’ strategies for technology adoption within the NHS. It recommends strategic planning of technology to be used for remote patient monitoring and GP practices would benefit from strategic planning where technology is concerned.