Fourteen regional health services benefit from free access to hospital equipment

Fourteen regional health services have benefited from a joint HSV and Department of Health initiative to distribute surplus State Supply Chain stock.

HSV’s Logistics and Customer Engagement teams collaborated on the allocation and delivery of almost 100 items of stock including emergency stretchers, mattresses and beds to health services across Victoria.

The surplus stock was part of a pandemic-era consignment ordered for ICU wards in 2020.

When HSV’s Customer Engagement team contacted health services about the beds and mattresses last month, many such as Tallangatta Health Service were happy to receive the stock free of charge.

Director of Corporate Health Services at Tallangatta Health Service, Paul Foley said the new beds and mattresses have had a significant impact on the patient experience.

“The new beds are safer and more comfortable for patients. They’re also fully adjustable which makes it easier for staff,” he said.

“For us this initiative has meant we could dispose of some very old beds. We also now have a financial plan in place to make sure our beds are updated regularly.”

Other health services that benefited from the SSC stock include Latrobe Regional Health, Benalla Health, Orbost Regional Health, Yarrawonga District Health Service, Maryborough District Health Service, Seymour Health, Central Gippsland Health Service and West Wimmera Health Service.

HSV’s Network Inventory Manager Raul Mas said the project required several weeks of meticulous planning with HSV’s transport partners.

“Because the items were bulky, mechanical handling equipment was needed to unload them on arrival. We had to make sure that each health service had the necessary capability at their loading dock.”

HSV Director Customer Engagement Alfred Matthews says the initiative was a great outcome for health services.

“A number of our smaller regional health services were able to benefit from this no-cost opportunity,” he said.

The State Supply Chain (SSC) was established in 2020 as part of the Victorian Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SSC is governed by the Department of Health and was set up with Monash Health as the supply and logistics lead and HSV as the procurement lead.

Pictured above: Hayley Mangion, AUM Chemotherapy Day Unit at Latrobe Regional Hospital with one of the new beds.