About us
Barema was founded in 1971 as a not-for-profit association to bring together companies that manufacture or supply anaesthetic and respiratory equipment in or to the UK.
Barema now represents around 70% of the sector, enabling the sector as a whole to influence policy, instantly respond to changing demands in patient care, and work in partnership with the medical profession, regulatory bodies and other stakeholders to maintain its enviable reputation for exceptionally high levels of quality, safety, reliability and innovation.
Our Vision
Providing patients with the best possible anaesthetic and respiratory equipment is what lies at the heart of Barema.
With our membership providing everything from the simplest filter or piece of tubing, to state-of-the-art monitors and anaesthetic machines, very few patients are treated without relying on equipment produced by Barema companies.
Our vision is to build on our enviable reputation of representing the highest possible standards in medical device manufacture, strengthen the Association by increasing membership, and advance collaboration with our European and global partners to ensure Barema's values extend even further across anaesthetic and respiratory medicine.
We aim to nurture each of our member companies, thus maintaining the sector's reputation for quality, safety, training, innovation and reliability, as well as build our total membership and the collective strength of the association. By working with the medical profession, government, regulatory bodies and other organisations, we are committed to ensuring healthcare policies involving the anaesthetic and respiratory sector are focussed on providing world-leading clinical treatment.
In summary, our vision is to provide patients with the best possible anaesthetic and respiratory equipment for their care.
Our Objectives
We aim to:
- continuously strive to enhance and improve the quality of patient safety
- nurture and promote each individual member company, maximising its contribution to and maintaining the high reputation of the anaesthetic and respiratory equipment industry
increase membership, seeking to bring Barema's values to and represent more companies in the sector - build on our close working relationships with:
- clinical representative bodies e.g. the Association of Anaesthetists in Great Britain and Ireland, Royal College of Anaesthetists, British Thoracic Society and Association for Respiratory Technology and Physiology, to respond to latest clinical changes
- Government departments and agencies e.g. the Department of Health, to maintain safety and reliability
- the British Competent Authority, i.e. the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, to enable two way dialogue on product standards
- other industry bodies - the Association of British Healthcare Industries, and European Industrial Federation (EUROM VI) - to influence government and NHS policies
- encourage proactive involvement, engagement and 'ownership' of Barema by its members, with proper representation in Barema governance and the opportunity for all members to develop the association
- ensure all members are fully aware of relevant product and regulatory standards
- maintain high standards of ethical business practice
- be transparent and responsible in all our activities, all of which are to the benefit of our member companies
- promote Barema's reputation for high quality, particularly amongst NHS staff involved in purchasing, with Barema membership representing the highest possible levels of safety, innovation, user training, quality and reliability in anaesthetic and respiratory equipment