Western European Anesthesia Equipment Market

Long replacement cycles and budgetary concern among hospitals are severely hampering the growth of the Western European anesthesia equipment market. These are the latest findings from Frost & Sullivan (Palo Alto, CA, USA), an international consulting firm.

While existing equipment are likely to be replaced only when high-end technology becomes more affordable, companies will be hard pressed to meet the requirement of hospital information technology (IT) integration and automated record keeping by incorporating networking capabilities and anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) in their product lines. In future, hospitals are likely to show a preference for equipment dedicated to day surgery as they attempt to reduce costs for patients.

"The Western European anesthesia equipment market is largely dependent on the replacement of existing units, and the availability of high-end technologies at lower prices will be key to its future growth,” said Frost & Sullivan research analyst Krishanu Bhattacharjee. "The increasing demand for medium-priced integrated workstations as well as AIMS is expected to significantly boost unit sales in the replacement market.”

"The affordability of European hospitals has been severely hindered due to the formation of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) in several parts of Europe and the restructuring of hospital expenditures,” continued Bhattacharjee. "With the entry of low-cost manufacturers in the market, the price of equipment, especially the stand-alone operating room (OR) monitors, will erode further. However, existing participants capable of delivering sophisticated and easy-to-use products at competitive prices can look forward to good growth.”

As hospital budgets continue their downward trend, demand for medium-priced workstations as well as day surgery supporting equipment are expected to rise sharply. Furthermore, the growing demand for electronic ventilators, ergonomic designs and AIMS is also likely to propel the market's growth.


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