ABSTRACT
Healthcare organisations face multiple regulations and legal liabilities that affect how they manage their medical equipment. Government and regulatory bodies expect compliance with relevant legislation, regulations and standards, whilst professional bodies encourage best practice. At their best, these requirements are intended to reduce the overall level of risk to patients, staff, the public and the organisation. Reducing the number of incidents and improving system performance benefit patients, improve efficiency and release resources for patient care. In the worst case, serious incidents can have significant financial consequences, and the size of any financial or other penalty is often directly related to how well risk has been managed.
