Clinical Notice: Oxygen Cylinder shortage

There is a national supply shortage of the small ‘ZD’ oxygen cylinders. Oxygen suppliers, including BOC are currently unable to supply sufficient numbers to fulfil our orders.

This has been escalated nationally and NHS Procurement are working to support Ambulance Trusts with supplies, however for the next few days, and until otherwise notified, we will need to carefully manage the use of our ZD cylinders:

• Do not carry more than 3 ZD cylinders on a vehicle.
• Only return cylinders that are completely empty.
• Please use alternatives to ZD cylinders wherever possible, including switching to the larger ZX cylinders as soon as feasible.
• Utilise hospital oxygen supplies as soon as available.
• Manage patient oxygen target saturation levels according to JRCALC guidelines. Also bear in mind that ‘some patients over 70 years may have saturation measurements in the range of 92-94% when clinically stable. These people do not require oxygen therapy unless the oxygen saturation falls below the level that is known to be normal for the individual patient.’

Thank you for your help.

Published 29th December 2022