NHS ‘may not be purchasing instruments ethically’

The NHS is not purchasing its equipment ethically, according to a report published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

In some parts of the NHS, it is claimed that some suppliers may be exploiting developing countries by investing unethically.

While NHS suppliers are encouraged to conduct business in an ethical manner, there are no set rules, meaning some may be tempted to opt for cheaper equipment that cannot be ethically guaranteed.

Dr Mahmood Bhutta, a specialist registrar in otolaryngology at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital in London, remarked: “The trade in surgical instruments is open to unethical sourcing because many such instruments are manufactured in the developing world.”

“The solution lies in purchasers insisting on fair and ethical trade when sourcing instruments,” he added.

The report cites Sialkot, a town in Pakistan responsible for a large amount of the world’s surgical instruments, as being home to some firms that hire children to manufacture a fifth of the world’s surgical goods, many of whom earn approximately one pound a day.

Some of these firms sell these products to retailers in the developed world, which eventually reach the NHS.

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