imeche-biomedical-report-coverIn a new report, the UK-based Institution for Mechanical Engineers calls for “urgent action” to prioritize the role of biomedical engineers in the National Health System (NHS) and to introduce a chief biomedical engineer in every NHS hospital.

The report, Biomedical Engineering: Advancing UK Healthcare, claims that many of the more than 13,000 incidents related to faulty equipment reported in the UK in 2013 could have been cut by increasing both the number and influence of biomedical engineers.

“Technology is leading to huge advances in healthcare, but this technology is dependent on the work of biomedical engineers who are inadequately recognized and in short supply in most hospitals,” said Patrick Finlay, lead author of the report and Chairman of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Biomedical Engineering Association. “Clinicians and engineers need to work in partnership to ensure that advances in medical technology are applied in the best interest of patients. The benefits of hospitals having a designated chief biomedical engineer responsible for healthcare technology are clear.”

For more details on the report, read the official press release.