The Royal Devon & Exeter hospital (RD&E) has developed over centuries, and is always seeking to offer the most effective medical technology. The hospital’s range of medical imaging equipment demonstrates this, as does the service support which keeps it operational. Customer Service Engineer (CSE) Philip Tombs is one of the key interfaces between RD&E and UPTIME Services, the service organization of Siemens Healthcare. He has a strong and longstanding relationship with hospital Chief X-ray Engineer Mike Stewart.

While both Tombs and Stewart are highly skilled, they also draw on the global service organization. Tombs receives all necessary current information on any equipment issues at RD&E in advance of his visit. He and Stewart both profit from support through the Siemens Support Centers. Help comes not just via telephone, but also through Siemens Remote Service (SRS), through which equipment can be monitored through a broadband connection so that potential errors can be resolved before malfunctions even occur. Strict security features within SRS protect data confidentiality.

If parts are needed, they can be delivered rapidly from one of three international distribution centers. Finally, both Tombs and Stewart benefit from regular training courses to keep their system knowledge and trouble-shooting skills updated.

A practical example of how service support works occurred when a CT scanner’s table jammed one afternoon. The Service Center was able to use SRS to detect where the fault lay and to order the required spare part. The component arrived in time for the CT scanner to be working as normal when the hospital opened the next day.

As customers vary, there are a wide range of service contract options to ensure that specific needs are met. RD&E has Shared Services contracts, a partnership solution between Siemens and the clinic, on some more basic equipment. The more complex equipment is covered by Performance Plans, which are modular service packages covering proactive services and fast technical onsite response, as well as obsolescence protection programs and load-dependent solutions.