Medical Engineering specialists at Gloucestershire Managed Services (GMS) have played a central role in improving the safety and reliability of syringe driver provision for patients requiring optimal symptom management at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Syringe pumps are vital for delivering continuous symptom-relief medication, yet their movement across wards and community settings has long made them difficult to track and maintain at high availability. Working in partnership with Idox and the Trust’s Clinical Lead for Specialist Palliative and End‑of‑Life Care, Medical Engineering co-designed a practical, safe solution that meets strict infection‑control and device‑integrity standards.
The big challenge is ensuring these small devices are returned as soon as possible after use, particularly from community healthcare teams. An advanced GPS/WiFi-type ‘tag’ is now used to locate missing devices so they can be followed up promptly. A key factor is securing the tag directly to the syringe pump rather than the removable safety lockbox which houses it, ensuring identification always stays with the device. The lockbox had to be redesigned to accommodate the tag and is now made from a stronger material to reduce breakage costs. Specific Trust-ownership labelling has also been added, making it easier to return devices quickly.
Before implementation, GMS engineers carried out thorough safety and technical checks to confirm the tag and lockbox had no impact on performance or patient care.
Outcome
Since rollout in April 2025, the Trust has seen a 100% reduction in lost syringe pumps, ensuring equipment is consistently available and reducing delays to essential symptom management. Community partners, including nursing teams and care homes, are also returning devices more reliably due to improved identification and communication.
Improved visibility means clinical teams spend less time searching for equipment and more time supporting patients and families at a critical stage of care. Faster access to syringe pumps directly benefits comfort, dignity and the overall patient experience.
Steve Webb, Lead for GMS Medical Engineering Service Delivery and IT Systems, says:
“This collaboration between clinical teams, Medical Engineering, Information Governance and Idox has delivered a solution that truly works in everyday practice. It has been hugely rewarding to contribute our technical and IT skills, and now observe the benefits for patients, the Trust and overall Medical Device Compliance.”
Samantha White, Clinical Lead for Specialist Palliative and End‑of‑Life Care, adds:
“Instead of looking for equipment, our teams can focus on patients and their families. That has a huge impact on the quality of care.”
Given the success of this solution, GMS is now exploring broader use of the technology for other mobile clinical devices across hospital and community services.
