Hospital Logistics in NRW – Urgent Runs for Sterile Goods, Specimens and Records

• Instrument trays and sterile containers
• Loan sets from implant manufacturers
• Implants and theatre consumables
• Specimens for external specialist labs
• Medicines from the hospital pharmacy
• Patient records and doctors' letters
• Data media with imaging
• Spare parts for medical equipment
• Loan devices such as infusion pumps

• Bochum: a missing tray for the theatre schedule

  A hospital in Bochum has its instruments reprocessed by an external service provider. In the morning, theatre two is missing a tray that is still at the reprocessor. The hospital books a car; the driver collects the sealed sterile container, keeps it dry and secured against sliding, and takes it straight to sterile goods receiving. Sterile services sign for it, and theatre coordination and procurement see the handover in the proof of delivery.

• Duisburg: a manufacturer's loan set before a planned operation

  For a hip revision the next morning, a hospital in Duisburg-Meiderich needs an implant manufacturer's loan set. The cases are at the manufacturer's logistics provider in the west of Duisburg. A van collects them and takes them straight to the sterile services department, which as a rule reprocesses loan sets itself before use – so plan the pickup with enough lead time before surgery. After the operation, the reprocessed set goes back the same way.

• Aachen: a daily shuttle between two sites

  A hospital group in the Aachen area exchanges specimens, records and supplies every day between a hospital in the city and the site with the central lab. The run is set up as a recurring order with a car, with fixed pickup time and handover points. Specimens travel in P650 boxes, records in sealed, opaque transport boxes. Named staff sign at both sites; short-notice needs are added as single drives.

Local courier service:BochumDuisburgAachen

• Sterile goods: packaging must not be damaged

  The joint recommendation of KRINKO and BfArM on reprocessing medical devices states that transport and storage must not adversely affect the properties of the reprocessed device. Devices used sterile always need packaging and must be kept dust-protected, clean and dry; even the storage period for sterile goods depends partly on transport. Packaging, containers and release are the responsibility of the hospital or its sterile services department. The driver transports containers closed, dry and secured against sliding.

• Specimens under UN 3373

  Specimens for external labs are usually “Biological substance, Category B” (UN 3373). The lab or sending ward packs them in triple packaging under P650 and marks the outer packaging with the UN 3373 diamond; packed this way they are subject to no other ADR requirements. Maxmove does not carry Category A material, and specimens on dry ice only after prior agreement. Details are on our lab courier page.

• Records and reports: confidentiality and GDPR

  Patient records, doctors' letters and imaging media contain health data under Art. 9 GDPR and are covered by medical confidentiality under section 203 of the German Criminal Code. If a hospital involves third parties in its work, section 203(4) requires it to ensure they are bound to confidentiality. In practice: records travel in sealed, opaque or tamper-sealed boxes provided by the hospital, the driver sees no contents, and handover is only to the named person.

• Medicines and refrigerated goods

  Consignments from the hospital pharmacy travel under the storage conditions set by the manufacturer – usually room temperature (15–25 °C) or refrigerated (2–8 °C). The pharmacy packs refrigerated goods into insulated boxes with ice packs not touching the medicine. Maxmove carries them passively cooled and arranges temperature-controlled transport as soon as a suitably equipped vehicle is available. We do not carry narcotics or labelled dangerous goods.

• Delivery to the right point

  Without a precise address, goods in hospitals end up at central goods receiving – with fixed hours and internal onward distribution. For urgent runs, state the building, entrance and point – sterile goods receiving, theatre transfer area, lab or ward – plus contact person and phone number. The driver hands over at that point, and the proof of delivery shows name, time and photos. Nothing gets lost in internal distribution.

1. 01

   Book with the receiving point

   Pickup address, destination with building and point, contact person and contents – such as sterile container, loan set or specimen box. You see the instant price and the earliest pickup window straight away.

2. 02

   Collection at supplier or partner site

   The driver takes over the sealed consignment with its delivery note and secures it in the vehicle against sliding and moisture. Containers and boxes stay closed.

3. 03

   Direct drive with live tracking

   Straight to the hospital without stopovers. Sterile services, theatre coordination or procurement see via live tracking when the consignment reaches the receiving point.

4. 04

   Handover at the named point

   Signature of the receiving person, timestamp and photos in the digital proof of delivery – traceable for procurement, sterile services and infection control.

• Urgent runs for sterile goods and medical devices

  When a tray, implant accessories or consumables are missing, Maxmove collects from the reprocessor, supplier or partner hospital and delivers straight to your sterile services, goods receiving or ward – no transfer, with the pickup window shown immediately.

• Shuttle runs between sites

  Hospital groups exchange specimens, records and supplies every day. Recurring runs are set up as fixed orders; for ad-hoc needs your teams book a direct drive at an instant price, with no phone call.

• Traceable for procurement and infection control

  Every run can be tracked live and is documented with a digital proof of delivery, signature and timestamp. Billing is by invoice through your business account, on request as a monthly consolidated invoice.