Q: What’s the difference between a healthcare professional and a healthcare company representative? A: A National Occupational Standard

No, this is not a joke.

Currently, we know that there are many and varied courses for company representatives working in the medical devices arena.

The introduction of a National Occupational Standard (NOS) within the medical devices industry closes the gap between the professional healthcare provider and the medical device representative.

The reality of a recognised NOS training standard which validates the competence of the device representative to be present in areas of clinical care is a major step towards establishing their professional accountability.

The Theatre Access and Hospital Access qualifications from HC Skills have external educational validation from EduQual, one of the examining and awarding bodies in the UK and throughout the world.

The level of validation is Professional and set to demand reflective practice, analysis and application of knowledge in the specialist clinical environment.

The EduQual Hospital and Theatre Access qualifications provide hospital managers with demonstrable evidence of the competence and legal compliance of non-clinical staff who have access to hospital areas where clinical care is delivered.

These qualifications are National Occupational Standards that support compliance by providing evidence of competence in the following key elements, thus ensuring patient/staff safety:

• Informed consent
• Patient confidentiality
• Track, trace and audit
• Infection control policies
• Vicarious liability
• Hospital regulations
• COSHH
• Radiation safety
• Laser safety
• RIDDOR
• Manual Handling
• Health & Safety at Work

Several of the leading medical device companies have adopted this National Occupational Standard and ensure that their representatives qualify in the EduQual Award in Access to the Operating Theatre.

Those medical device company representatives not requiring to access theatres/critical care areas undertake the Hospital Access programme.

Their representatives can now show hospital managers their externally validated evidence of competence to demonstrate, teach, support and promote their products, safely, in areas of clinical care.

HAVE WE BRIDGED THE GAP? YES!

We know that hospital managers have a responsibility for all non-clinical personnel who seek access to areas of patient care.

For the departmental manager, the EduQual Hospital and Theatre Access Qualifications mean that they can confidently accept those qualified representatives with the National Occupational Standard into their department knowing that a legally compliant, competent and professional individual will be supporting them.