The View from the Other Side of Medical Devices

As a Clinical Engineer with over 30 years’ experience, John has seen a lot of patients come through the hospital doors and be diagnosed and treated with various medical devices. The clinical team work hard to diagnose and treat all patients and use a lot of medical technology to achieve their goal. As a Clinical Engineer you play an important role in supporting the clinical team to treat our patients with the most appropriate and safest medical devices.

In May 2023 John became a patient in hospital requiring Cardiac Surgery. As a Clinical Engineer who had commissioned and supported the first Cardiac Surgery initiative in St. James’s Hospital this was an interesting twist of fate. The Clinical Engineer was now getting a view from the other side. What is it like being on the other side of the medical device, a device which will save your life. The doctors are ultimately responsible for your care but they can’t do it alone. Engineering has a large role to play and medical device development over many years has saved many lives.

There’s a lot to say about the people, processes and medical technology that we take for granted until it comes to our own bodies.