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Second ReMed Conference acknowledged as “the most informative event on the path to circular use of medical devices” The second ReMed Conference took place on 17th September 2024 at Loughborough University. The conference brought together over 100 delegates working across the value chain of medical devices including: design consultancy, manufacturing, waste management, reprocessing, healthcare providers and academia to discuss the latest developments and future opportunities for the transition to a circular use of these devices. Prof Shahin Rahimifard, Principal Investigator of the ReMed Project opened the conference: "Since the start of the ReMed Project in September 2022, it is with great excitement that we have observed a rapid growth in national and international initiatives exploring a range of solutions for a transition from linear single use to a circular reuse and/or material recovery from Medical Devices (MD). Due to the inherent nature of MD supply chain, application of Circular Economy (CE) in this sector necessitates the careful considerations for its global dimensions. The complexity in the framework of regulations and standards across various countries, regions and continents provides one of the greatest challenges in adopting CE within the medical industry. In addition, an interdisciplinary, holistic and integrated approach is required to consider the many other challenges involved in product redesign and recertification, new materials upgrade and substitution, SMART digital manufacturing, developing new business models for supply and use as well as novel technologies for recovery and reprocessing of MD. The development of easy-to-use life cycle assessment tools to analyse impacts and support decisions is also seen as a key enabler in the attainment of net-zero targets for which application of CE plays a vital role." A welcome speech was delivered by Professor Rachel Thomson, Loughborough University Pro Vice-Chancellor and Provost, who talked about the importance of circular economy research as part of the new University strategy “Creating a Better Future together,” which focuses on three themes of climate change and net zero; sport, health and well-being; and vibrant and inclusive community. The PVC reaffirmed: "Loughborough’s tradition of conducting world-leading research in close collaboration with industry, through successfully hosting Innovation Hubs which aim to bring together multiple of collaborating universities and organisations to achieve a common goal" Three informative keynote presentations were given by: 1) Mr Liam Hogg - Head of Waste and Resources for NHS England - outlining the ‘Future of NHS Waste Strategy’ 2) Dr Karen Mayor - Deputy Director for Data, Analysis and Resilience in Medical Technologies at the Department of Health and Social Care – summarising the main outcomes from ‘Design for Life’ initiatives 3) Mrs Lena Cordie-Bancroft - Sector Lead for Medical Devices at British Standards Institute, highlighting the paramount importance of ‘Standards in Guiding Healthcare Industry to Circular Practices’. The rest of the day was divided into 3 thematic sessions, representative of the workstreams being investigated within ReMed project; namely Automated reprocessing of medical devices; Operational changes and health economics; and Circular design and sustainable materials for MD. In each thematic session, talks were given by the ReMed researchers who presented progress within the ReMed project, and we were also privileged to have excellent guest speakers for each session, bringing to life real-world examples of sustainability within the healthcare sector.

Loughborough recognised in Department for Health & Social Care ' Design for Life' Roadmap by Baroness Merron

The ReMed (Circular Economy for Small Medical Devices) Project Team are pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 'Beyond Disposal: Building a Circular Economy for Medical Devices' Conference, taking place on Tuesday 17th September 2024 at Loughborough University.

The first ReMed Conference took place on 19th December 2023 at Loughborough University. The conference brought together over 80 delegates working across multiple sectors including: academia, manufacturing, healthcare, waste management, reprocessing, design and consultancy to discuss the latest developments and future opportunities for the transition to a circular economy for small medical devices. Prof Shahin Rahimifard, Principal Investigator of the ReMed Project opened the conference: "The proliferation of the range and number of medical treatments, their inherent reliance on the use of Medical Devices as well as an aging population and rapid growth in the number of patients seeking the most advanced treatments globally has resulted in a perfect storm which is threatening the fair and equitable access to such devices across the world. The ReMed Conference brings together a broad range of actors and decision makes across the value chain of medical devices to accelerate the transition to a circular economy within the healthcare sector and improve the resilience of supply and global access to such devices." A welcome speech was delivered by Professor Nick Jennings, Loughborough University Vice-Chancellor, who talked about the importance and benefits of multi-disciplinary conferences, the alignment of the conference with the University strategy and the impact that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is having in the medical device sector and how this is expected to grow. The VC set the scene perfectly for the conference by saying:  "One of the things I've always loved about being an academic is the ability to try novel solutions to really important societal challenges. The circular economy is a really important societal challenge, both nationally and internationally. And so, I would encourage you to try things, bring together expertise, be bold, and be ambitious in terms of the things that you're willing to try." A bold keynote presentation was given by Prof Mahmood Bhutta, Chair in ENT Surgery and Professor of Sustainable Healthcare at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Prof. Bhutta's talk highlighted the significant impacts that the use of disposable goods in healthcare are having not only on the environment but also on people. Specific challenges presented including: Infection control at times is being used as an excuse not to make changes to the linear supply model; the serious impact on our planet from overuse of PPE during the pandemic; lack of transparency of where medical devices are manufactured, studies have shown that almost half single use devices are produced in countries with poor human rights record. Prof. Bhutta spoke from his perspective on actions that medical professionals can take to contribute to making progress on reducing medical waste.

By Mohd. Shoaib, Research Associate, School of Business and Economics, Loughborough University As a researcher within the Circular Economy of Small Medical Devices (ReMed) research project, I had the privilege of attending the Operational Research Society (ORS) Annual Conference ‘OR65’ and Early Career Researcher (ECR) Workshop , from 10 th – 14 th September 2023, in the picturesque city of Bath, UK.