The hospital never sleeps, and neither does the challenge of keeping critical equipment safe for use.   

Christopher Eden is the Endoscopy Decontamination Manager at Medway Maritime Hospital, and has almost 2 decades of experience working there.  

Chris and his team of 7 technicians at the Endoscopy Unit are processing highly sensitive equipment that needs meticulous decontamination. They’re fielding the kind of urgent requests where “no is not an option.”  

“We wouldn’t cope well with a manual handwritten system,” Chris reflects after 18 years at the hospital. “Especially if you have to trace anything backwards.”  

But what’s particularly special about this story isn’t just how they found a solution that helps them keep track of expensive scopes; it’s that they have successfully spread this solution across the entire hospital – even onto a mobile endoscopy unit that operates beyond the hospital walls. 

 This is the story of how a team’s commitment to doing things right turned them from users into advocates, and a departmental solution into a hospital-wide strategy. 

Success at a Glance  

 The Challenge: 

Before Athera FingerPrint, Medway’s endoscopy unit relied entirely on manual, paper-based tracking systems. When throughput was lower, this approach was manageable.   

“The expectation is that we can always meet that high capacity, but when something goes wrong, we’re pushed to the max”.  “And that means we wouldn’t cope well with a manual handwritten system, especially if you have to trace anything backwards,” Chris explains.   

Paper records can’t keep pace with the reality of the job, which includes things like urgent requests, equipment swaps, compliance requirements, and the constant pressure to do more with the same resources.  

The Solution:  

Medway Maritime Hospital has worked with Athera Healthcare for many years. When Athera upgraded the tracking and traceability software from Trackerscope to ScopeTrack in 2022, the transition set a new standard:   

”We had a smooth transition after the upgrade, no issues,”  

Chris notes (and in healthcare IT, that’s practically unheard of).  

 The Athera Healthcare Impact: 

An intuitive design built for healthcare teams 

In an environment where “no is not an option” and the team is constantly problem-solving, technology needs to enable rather than hinder work. 

 “It’s very straightforward to use, it’s not time-consuming to navigate, it’s intuitive,” says Chris. The system provides a clear platform for tracking and tracing equipment without consuming valuable time “this is important for us because we need something quick and easy to use, especially because we’re often working at 60-70% capacity”. 

 Staff can navigate the system quickly without extensive training, meaning less time learning software and more time ensuring endoscopy safety. 

Digital audit trails  

Moving from paper-based records to a secure digital history transformed how the team approaches compliance and reporting. 

 Instead of searching through physical documents or trying to trace equipment backwards through handwritten logs, the team has immediate access to comprehensive equipment histories. This streamlines audit requirements and provides the evidence needed for reporting and compliance. 

 “You have a really simple-to-use dashboard with a much better history of the scopes, then you can start to explore and play with all the extras on there” Chris notes. By extras, Chris refers to the ability to attach documentation to each step, attach pictures, export data for reports, and so much more. 

 What initially seemed like a simple digitisation became an indispensable source of assurance and accountability. 

 Reliable Partnership and integration 

“After 18 years of partnership with Athera, the consistent performance has built real trust. It’s a system we know we can rely on.” 

 “I have found Athera easy to work with and responsive to any questions,” Chris says. “Their team are approachable, friendly and more than happy to facilitate any requests.” 

 Critically, Athera demonstrated a “willingness to integrate with other suppliers. There’s a culture of openness there which really helps us spread risk and whilst we haven’t explored that properly yet, we know it will be quite simple when the time comes.”  

 From Departmental Solution to Hospital-Wide Strategy 

The endoscopy unit didn’t just use Athera FingerPrint successfully, they demonstrated its value so clearly that other departments took notice.  

 What started as a solution for one small unit has expanded across Medway Maritime Hospital to Theatres, ENT, Day Surgery Procedure Suites, and even the Montgomery Mobile Endoscopy Unit!  

 “It gives us an oversight of all equipment,” Chris explains. “We often need to swap and share inventory, so this has given us that wide view that’s critical for us to do just that.” 

This expansion is particularly significant for the mobile endoscopy unit, where equipment moves between locations and needs to be tracked across multiple sites.  

 Having centralised visibility means knowing exactly where equipment is, whether it’s been properly processed, and whether it’s ready for use, no matter where it’s needed. 

 What began as departmental tracking is becoming the hospital’s centralised equipment traceability backbone: a closed-loop system.  

Closing Remarks 

 Pride in Service 

When asked what he’s most proud of, Chris’s answer is immediate: “I am proud that our team provides a great service for our Trust and its patients.” 

 It’s the kind of pride that comes from doing difficult work well and from ploughing through challenges and finding solutions when “no is not an option.” 

 The decontamination team shares a common vision: ensuring equipment is safe and ready to use in a timely manner, aligning with the Trust’s vision to give timely care to patients. 

 Athera Healthcare works to enable that vision at scale, across departments, and even beyond the hospital walls.