It’s time for our latest news-in-brief to catch-up on some of the stories that caught our eye from across the health tech community – keep reading to find out what’s been happening.
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust tackle patient waiting lists
Bolton NHS Foundation Trust has introduced patient initiated follow-up (PIFU) across 22 specialties, for patients with long-term conditions or following certain hospital treatments.
In the past 10 months the trust’s dermatology service has assessed and moved 151 patients onto a PIFU pathway for mild to moderate skin conditions.
The trust said: “In that time only one patient has asked to attend a follow-up appointment, saving 150 appointments for other service users.”
Hampshire Hospitals adopts new technology to support skin cancer services
Hampshire Hospitals NHS FT has introduced a mole mapping tool known as FotoFinder, said to change the way dermatologists will be able to treat, identify and monitor skin cancer.
It has been introduced to help streamline the process of checking for moles and comparing records, the trust said. It uses artificial intelligence to compare any changes when doing follow up scans and will alert the dermatologists to those changes in order that appropriate action can be taken.
Dr Lara Alloway, chief medical officer at Hampshire Hospitals said: “We are very grateful to have been able to buy this piece of equipment with the support of Hampshire Medical Fund. It will be a huge aid to the skin cancer monitoring services we provide, enabling us to provide outstanding care for our patients due to being more accessible, accurate and easier for our staff to use.”
Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust adopts digital pathology
Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust has moved from analysing tissue biopsies using microscopes to using a software tool.
The trust said it expects the new technology to contribute to “reducing the time patients have to wait for diagnoses, particularly for those patients with suspected cancer” and support “rapid referral of cases between organisations”.
Dr Fran Wadelin, consultant haematologist, commented: “I have found the new digital system to have made a tremendous improvement in our histology and MDT meetings. We are able to view the trephine slides with ease and there has been a considerable reduction in the delay in immunohistochemistry that previously required physical transportation to this campus. We can easily compare previous slides and can ask for review of biopsies that have been sent to other subsections of histology, without there being a delay physically locating a slide. It has also facilitated remote working and teaching; and has allowed us to continue our close relationship with our histology colleagues throughout the COVID pandemic.”
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals new technology for patients undergoing therapy
A new therapy technology called RITA, Reminiscence Interactive Therapy Activities, has been introduced by Blackpool Teaching Hospitals to help with anxiety and stress for patients with dementia and the elderly.
Through interactive touchscreens, applications such as films, historic news reels and interactive games are made available. Families are also able to personalise content by uploading photos onto the system to view at any point.
Currently eight systems and two projectors are being funded by the hospital charity Blue Skies with more tablets ordered for both individual and group use.
North West London shared procurement service launches
A new shared procurement service for nine NHS partner organisations in North West London has launched with an aim to increase value from procurement exercises and support the development of new commercial opportunities across the sector.
Hosted centrally by Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, the new shared service will support: Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, North West London Integrated Care Board, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and West London NHS Trust.
