5 Ways your healthcare logistics partner can enhance patient care

It’s not just about delivery speed when it comes to healthcare logistics. Urgent shipments containing critical, lifesaving equipment or parts, must be shipped by a compliant and experienced logistics partner, that you can rely on.

Healthcare logistics demands precision and reliability, throughout the entire process. Whether it’s handling returns effectively, stock disposal options, or efficient inventory management, careful consideration of all these factors is important when searching for the right logistics partner for your business.

In our experience, as leading healthcare logistics specialists, here are 5 ways we feel your logistics partner can help you to enhance patient care:

1) Earlier access to critical parts

When it comes to patient services, time really does matter. Delays in your spare parts supply chain can lead to extended machine downtime and can directly impact patient care. With earlier access to parts, engineers can increase their operational efficiency by up to 34%, which enables more and faster repairs to be completed.

At Carousel, we specialise in the fast delivery of spare parts that maximize operational uptime of medical equipment and improve patient care. Our service and technology platform Gateway® provides complete end-to-end visibility. With live data streams at your fingertips, we help you proactively manage your spare parts inventory, avoiding unnecessary delays before they have even happened.

2) Direct-to-engineer delivery

Direct-to-engineer parts delivery is a game-changer when it comes to minimising disruptions. By ensuring timely access to spare parts precisely when and where they are required, engineers can increase their operational efficiency by over 30%.

As critical parts distribution specialists, Carousel’s extensive, flexible final mile delivery options set us apart. We offer:
✔️ Hospital in-room, theatre, and ward-level deliveries
✔️ Forward stock locations
✔️ Nationwide PUDO (Pick Up/Drop Off) locations including ‘Smart Locker’ boxes
✔️ In-van or in-boot deliveries

If the parts you need are too large, or your engineer requires help with them, we can do that too. This includes offering physical help with specialist tools, people, and vehicles to move goods such as X-ray machines or MRI scanners, as just two examples.

3) Sector-specific expertise

Experience in healthcare logistics is essential when it comes to navigating the complexities of regulatory compliance, strict KPIs, and stringent SLAs.

Carousel is a leading daily delivery partner to UK hospitals, supporting Class II and Class III medical devices, including complex equipment like diagnostic imaging tools, scanners, and X-ray tubes. Our expertise lies in effectively managing the challenges associated with transporting these components to regulated environments within hospital facilities.

4) Reverse logistics expertise

Medical devices and hospital equipment are often sensitive and extraordinarily valuable, which is why reverse logistics plays a pivotal role in the supply chain.

At Carousel, we recognize the importance of device and parts returns. Our in-room collection service utilises advanced digital technology to provide comprehensive end-to-end traceability for returned products, facilitating inventory management for both stock and repairs. We can also store or hold returns in one of our warehouses to provide final mile consolidated deliveries or fully licensed disposal services if required.

5) Top-level safeguarding of sensitive products

The safe, compliant delivery of healthcare components depends on whether your chosen logistics partner has safeguarding measures in place. Secure transportation of valuable medical devices and parts is key to ensuring your products and parts reach their destination in optimal condition.

That’s why we’re one of only a few providers who offer an enhanced service by delivering parts directly into a hospital room, providing extra care for your sensitive, valuable, and or life-critical products.

Enhancing patient care with a healthcare logistics specialist

Choosing the right healthcare logistics partner isn’t just about moving boxes from one place to another; it’s about creating a seamless, reliable, and efficient supply chain that directly contributes to the well-being of patients. A partnership with a specialist logistics provider that prioritises precision, speed, and has sector-specific expertise will undoubtedly elevate the standard of patient care in your organisation.

Why choose Carousel?

Companies partner with us because we guarantee to deliver high-value products and life-critical spare parts where, when, and how they are needed. Embracing flexibility in this specialist field of logistics translates to increased engineer uptime, quicker solutions, and ultimately, better healthcare outcomes.

The benefits a Carousel solution can bring:

• Faster speed to market
• Maximum engineer uptime
• Reduced SLA penalties
• Increased revenues & profitability
• Improved patient care
• Reduced inventory stock holdings
• Greater market share
• Full end to end visibility for outbound orders and returns

Leading global medical equipment manufacturers choose Carousel Logistics to handle their critical parts deliveries and returns, year after year.

Read more on how we have helped Canon Medical to deliver better patient care, since 2017.