As usual, there’s plenty happening in the world of digital health – read our News In Brief to find out more about some of the stories that have caught our interest recently.
NHS England issues pre-procurement notification for child health services digital applications
NHS England has issued a pre-procurement notification for digital applications that provide tools for parents and carers to enhance interactions with child health services.
The notification acts as an open early engagement; this means that the procurement idea is currently active and there is intention to judge interest from potential suppliers.
The idea is to procure three to five suppliers who will provide digital features intended to enhance interactions between families and early years child health services.
The closing date is 31 August; interested suppliers should contact the procurement lead via email (england.commercialqueries@nhs.net) for further information.
Skills for Health and Charles Bloe Training launch new eLearning course on blood transfusions
Not-for-profit organisation Skills for Health has launched a new eLearning course in partnership with Charles Bloe Training to empower clinical staff to make good decisions when it comes to blood transfusions.
The course covers the four key stages of the transfusion procedure, from the decision to transfuse and pre-transfusion blood sampling to the collection and delivery of blood components before patient administration. Learner progress and test results can be tracked by managers for internal development, and learners will also receive a CPD certificate upon successful completion of the course.
“Uncontrolled bleeding contributes to more than half of all injury deaths in the UK and more than 2 million deaths globally, so the decision to transfuse and subsequent decision making throughout the procedure can, in some instances, be the difference between life or death,” said Registered Nurse Sarah Croft, who was closely involved in designing the course. “Providing the correct treatment and quantity of blood during the first hours of emergency care can be extremely challenging for healthcare professionals. Ensuring that adequate training is provided is vital with regards to patient safety.”
More information on the course can be found here.
YHAHSN and South Yorkshire ICS roll out new health app
Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) is working in partnership with South Yorkshire Integrated Care System (ICS) to support the roll-out of Active†me REMOTE, a new integrated health monitoring app designed to help patients in need of cardiac rehabilitation with their recovery. The AHSN will assist with evaluation of the project and create video-based educational materials on the app.
Active†me REMOTE, developed by Aseptika, is a medically certified solution through which patients can monitor their health, receive educational materials and track their progress. They will have the opportunity to attend virtual live exercise classes, with face-to-face service options also remaining in place.
The new service will initially be implemented at Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, and Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, with ambitions for the digital service to expand across the region.
“It is great that we are able to add this new app to our range of rehabilitation options to help people get back to as full a life as possible after their heart attack or heart surgery,” said Dr Richard Cullen, a GP in Rotherham and lead for Digital Services at the ICS. “Cardiac rehabilitation reduces the risk of having another heart event and has a positive impact on wellbeing and quality of life. This digital service will support more people, particularly patients who might find it difficult to attend face to face classes.”
RPA introduced at Blackpool Teaching Hospitals
Blackpool Teaching Hospitals has introduced a Robotic Process Automation Tool (RPA) to assist with a range of projects by speeding up repetitive tasks and freeing up staff time.
The radiology department was among the first to use the RPA tool, to assist with the challenge of streamlining their appointment processing. The RPA system now handles cancellations, confirmations and can send rebooking requests or other queries onto staff. The system is reported to have handled more than 5500 appointments to date.
“The system was originally piloted by the trust to look at processing invoices for the finance team, and the first process actually went live last year related to our COVID testing booking system,” said Joanne Millar, the trust’s lead for robotic automation and integrated development. “We’re also working with teams across the Trust including IT, sexual health services, HR and A&E, as well as supporting training and appraisal systems.
“This process gives a real opportunity for us to help with our clinical and elective restoration programmes and take over some of the traditional ‘back-office’ functions in order to hand back clinical time to colleagues who can then spend more time with our patients.”
HEE’s enhance programme set to equip clinicians with generalist skills
A new programme from Health Education England (HEE) aims to equip the new generation of healthcare professionals with generalist skills.
A 2020 report in The Future Doctor outlined a need for professionals with generalist skills and approaches, along with closely-aligned multi-professional teams, rather than placing too much emphasis on specialisms.
The enhance programme is intended to embed generalist approaches early in training, helping clinicians feel more confident in managing complex cases across a range of physical and mental health needs. Clinicians will be better equipped to take a ‘whole person approach’ to healthcare, and encouraged to collaborate with and lead multi-professional teams to overcome boundaries between specialities and organisations.
“By embedding generalist approaches in training we will ensure that all doctors have access to a robust, future-proof training experience, encouraging a curiosity for lifelong learning through personally relevant enquiry and are empowered to effect change within the communities they serve to ensure the best outcomes for their patients,” said Professor Wendy Reid, Director of Quality and Education and Medical Director for Health Education England.
More information can be found here.
