Patient safety and the reuse of single-use medical items

Trusts owe a duty of care to patients, staff, the public and the environment. This article considers the risk issues associated with the reuse of medical devices. The practice of reusing medical devices labelled by the manufacturer for single-use only must be carefully considered by managers and clinicians responsible for patient safety, to ensure that account has been taken of outcomes which may adversely affect clinical procedure and be harmful to the patient.