Fully portable device is used to electrically melt potentially contaminated syringe needles down to harmless globules of steel at the point of use
An MP campaigning for the NHS to address the issue of needlestick injury through, amongst other things, the use of safer hypodermic needles, is giving her support to an invention that could slash the number of potentially fatal needlestick injuries among health staff and public servants.
Crawley MP Laura Moffatt has tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM - number 1515) in the House of Commons to highlight the danger of injury from used hypodermic needles after her Needlestick Injury private members bill ran out of time in July.
Hampshire-based engineering company Morgan Everett last week launched its latest product - Point Blank.
Point Blank is an innovative device, which could be the answer to safer hospitals, veterinary surgeries and even playing fields.
The fully portable device is used to electrically melt potentially contaminated syringe needles down to harmless globules of steel at the point of use.
The portable module is rechargeable when placed on top of a desktop unit plugged into mains power supply.
Up to 50 needles can be destroyed away from the base unit; the whole system can destroy up to 1000 needles before the internal cartridge needs replacement.
Laura Moffatt joined the development team on 15 September to emphasise the need for action by the NHS to cut down on the estimated 200,000 needlestick injuries that occur every year to its staff - around 16 per cent of all staff injuries. Victims run the risk of infection from blood-borne viruses such as Hepatitis B and C and HIV and so far, four health workers in the UK have died as a result of HIV infection from used needles. Laura Moffatt said: "As an ex-nurse myself, I am only too well aware of the distress these injuries cause to health workers and to many other groups, including construction workers, police, probation and cleaning staff to name but a few." Morgan Everett sales and marketing director Paul Morgan believes the new product could drastically cut the incidence of needlestick injuries: "Point Blank could be seen on a doctor's desk or a hospital trolley because it's designed to be convenient enough to use at the point of waste creation - waste should be destroyed as soon as possible.
"We see this being used in hospitals by infection control nurses, in surgeries, toxicological laboratories, old people's homes and even veterinary surgeries.
"It could also be used by non-medical professions with exposure to used needles such as the police, social workers and parks and sports ground staff."
