Guide · checked October 2026
Cath lab inventory: scanning devices at the point of use
For cath labs, the important part of inventory is scanning each device at the point of use so its identity, lot and expiry land in the patient's record; NHS England's digital safety strategy set an expectation that all trusts adopt barcode scanning of high-risk medical devices by March 2024, using GS1 standards.
The NHS context
NHS England's progress update on its digital clinical safety strategy records the government mandate that by March 2024 all trusts should adopt barcode scanning of high-risk medical devices. Scan4Safety, started in 2016, uses scanning to flag expired, recalled or wrong items. DHSC's eProcurement strategy requires goods bought by NHS acute trusts to comply with GS1 and PEPPOL standards.
Why it matters in the cath lab
- Traceability: you can answer "who received this lot?" in minutes, not days.
- Safety: expired or recalled items can be caught before use.
- Accuracy: device fields in the procedure note and national audit come from the scan, not memory.
- Stock: usage data shows what is actually consumed per case.
Making scanning stick
Scan in the room, at the moment of use, into the case. Make the scan the source for the note and the audit return so staff see the benefit. Handle devices without a readable barcode with a clear manual route, and review those exceptions, since they are where traceability breaks.
What scanning does not do
- It does not replace a stock management or ordering system.
- It does not make a device record correct if the wrong item is scanned.
- It does not cover devices with no barcode unless there is a manual route.
Where Cath Copilot fits
Cath Copilot reads GS1 and HIBC device barcodes and puts the scanned device, with lot and expiry, on the case timeline, reconciled against the physiology log and carried into the procedure note and audit return. Implant recall search by lot number is available to the quality lead and operator.
It is not a stock management or ordering system, and in the prototype the inventory connector has no live adapter yet. Cath Copilot is a prototype on synthetic data only. It is not a medical device and is not for clinical use.
Questions
Was barcode scanning of high-risk devices mandated?
NHS England's digital clinical safety strategy progress update records a government mandate that all trusts should adopt barcode scanning of high-risk medical devices by March 2024.
Which barcode standard does the NHS use?
DHSC's eProcurement strategy requires GS1 coding and PEPPOL messaging for goods bought by NHS acute trusts.
Sources
Official pages, checked October 2026. Guidance changes, so check the current version before you rely on it.
General information for healthcare managers and clinical teams, checked October 2026. It is not legal, regulatory or clinical advice; follow the current official guidance and your organisation's own policies. No patient data is used in these examples. Cath Copilot is a prototype running on synthetic data only. It is not a medical device and is not for clinical use. It recommends, drafts, and routes; it never diagnoses, orders, or decides. A clinical safety and information-governance process precedes any use with real patient data.