RFID's and hospital equipment

Just saw this on the BBC website. Recent research in Amsterdam has shown that RFID chips can impair the effectivness of medical machines which includes pacemakers, ventilators and dialysis machines.

A total of 123 tests, three on each machine, were carried out, and 34 produced an "incident" in which the RFID appeared to have an effect - 24 of which were deemed either "significant" or "hazardous".

In some tests, RFIDs either switched off or changed the settings on mechanical ventilators, completely stopped the working of syringe pumps, caused external pacemakers to malfunction, and halted dialysis machines.

The BBC also interviewed a NHS I.T spokeperson who stated that RFID chips meet a standard which ensures that they are unlikely to interfere with medical equipment. I think that this is is funny because this research has shown that RFID chips interfere with equipment which is 10 inches away.

Full Article on BBC