Here, we present our finalists for our Frontline Digitisation Project of the Year category.
Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust
Overview: Liverpool Women’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (LWH) has recently completed a “revolutionary” digital organisational change programme which saw the implementation a brand new EPR system, MEDITECH Expanse. The implementation is said to be the first of type for the UK and went live on 8 July 2023.
Why? The legacy PAS system was implemented in 1996 and no longer met the complex digital demands of a modern NHS trust. Due to the age of the legacy system, the programme was described as a digital ‘heart and lung transplant’. It highlighted the lack of core functionality available with regards to an EPR.
What happened? The programme was branded as digiCare, reflecting the journey to both implement a new EPR and connect all other systems. The trust ran workshops, drop-in sessions, focus groups and many more as well as having a weekly dedicated newsletter, WhatsApp comms announcement group and website. At the heart of the entire programme there was a strong and dedicated clinical digital and programme delivery team which enabled a clinically led programme with the focus on patient safety and clinical processes. The trust established new processes in many areas which allowed staff to work much more efficiently and effectively and also published a ’start, stop & continue’ exercise, which was praised by NHS England. The data migration process was led by the trust team and was highlighted following go live as a significant success. Since go-live, some of the highlights have been integration with every downstream clinical system; a unique, bespoke maternity interface to fully integrate referrals, deliveries and births with the maternity system; and digitisation of clinical letters for outpatients. Staff have live Referral to Treatment, improving waiting list management, and live digital whiteboards within clinical areas to provide clinical oversight improved and more timely reporting internally and externally.
Looking ahead. It is hoped that this work has paved the way for other NHS trusts to do the same.
Priory
Overview: 18-month implementation of a digital care records system (Nourish) across 188 sites, benefiting 2,200 residents in social care settings. Nourish offers real-time remote data access, analysis, trend reporting, dashboards, and facilitates the capture of care notes at the point of care, enhancing efficiency and quality of healthcare delivery.
Why? To deliver improvements and time savings across Priory’s social care services.
What happened? Operational leaders collaborated to design the Nourish platform, and to tailor it to the unique needs of Priory. Subsequently, support plan templates and risk assessments were created, along with 341 individual smart forms that would ultimately remove 137 paper templates. An initial pilot was conducted across 11 sites; over the following 12 months, the project was implemented at approximately 16 sites in each of the 11 phases. A continuous improvement review meant that subsequent phases (4-11) followed a different trajectory as a result of feedback from sites and the Implementation Team. Now, sites went live on the Nourish mobile application after a four-week preparation period, support plans were systematically added, and operations ensured these plans were transitioned onto the new system. This approach reduced implementation times by four weeks at all sites, allowing an earlier handover to operations, enabling them to identify gaps and inconsistencies that could be addressed with sites immediately. Priory anticipates a time-saving benefit of one hour per colleague per week, which amounts to a £1.1 million saving in 2024, along with an increase in occupancy levels due to enhanced quality and reputation, resulting in a revenue boost of £258,000. In addition a £25,000 reduction in stationary and printing costs is predicted. The anticipated ROI is 161 percent, with a payback period of seven months after the implementation of Nourish.
Looking ahead. Nourish will continue to work on improvements across sites, building on learning as the project progresses.
The Firs Medical Centre
Overview: The Firs Medical Centre’s Access Digitisation Project has is said to have “revolutionised” patient access, guaranteeing inclusivity for digitally vulnerable individuals. By embracing advanced technology, the centre aims to have levelled the playing field, ensuring all patients receive equitable treatment, eliminating disparities in healthcare access.
Why? Before the inception of our Access Improvement Initiative, patients were limited to booking appointments exclusively over the phone, a process that often resulted in frustratingly long wait times and disparities in access.
What happened? Patients can now book appointments seamlessly through a user-friendly online platform or choose the traditional in-person method. To streamline the appointment process and gather essential information efficiently, the centre introduced an online consultation form using a platform called Klinik. Every patient, upon requesting an appointment, is prompted to fill out this form. The form not only expedites the administrative process but also enables our healthcare providers to have a more comprehensive understanding of the patient’s needs before the actual appointment; the centre has also ensured that staff can assist should patients face challenges in completing the online form. This personalised support is designed to ensure that every patient, regardless of their digital literacy or accessibility, can benefit from the streamlined appointment process. A “pivotal” element of the Access Improvement Initiative is the implementation of a Hub Team consisting of doctors, allied healthcare professionals, and upskilled administrative staff, with the centre noting how this team plays a crucial role in triaging every appointment request to ensure it reaches the most appropriate clinician or staff member. By categorising requests based on urgency and complexity, the Hub Team has “transformed our service from a demand-based to a needs-based model”. Previously averaging 30 minutes, telephone waiting times have now been reduced to under eight minutes.
Looking ahead. As we continue on this transformative journey, our commitment to improving access and reducing health inequities remains unwavering.
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICS & Strata Health UK
Overview: The unified electronic referral platform has streamlined processes across diverse sectors, handling 52,875+ referrals since July. With 2,000+ users and notable time efficiency gains, it signifies a leap toward accessible, high-quality care and improved system-wide patient flow.
Why? The previous system, while functional, had its limitations prompting the need for a more adaptable and streamlined solution. While it served its purpose, it became evident that to meet the evolving demands of our healthcare system and provide an even better user experience, a transformative change was necessary.
What happened? The journey began with an agile development using existing infrastructure—Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Forms. The collaborative effort between system partners across the Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICS and Strata Health resulted in a unified electronic referral platform spanning primary, secondary, community, social services, and the third sector. It provides comprehensive visibility, enabling stakeholders to track referrals and monitor the patient journey efficiently. Recognising that innovation is an ongoing journey, this project is structured into multi-phased approaches with phase one involving replacement and enhancements, with a continuous focus on refining workflows and functionality based on user feedback. The successful deployment of the unified eReferral solution across 250+ referring locations and three Integrated Transfer of Care Hubs is described as “remarkable” – on its first operational day, the system received 462 referrals, showcasing its immediate uptake and relevance. From July – November, 52,875 referrals have been processed, with 1,0575 referrals on average per month. A decrease of 38.95 percent in response time was seen in the first four months.
Looking ahead. As the platform implements more integrated workflows, its influence and impact are expected to grow significantly, enhancing its reach across various sectors and organisations. Future phases are aimed at leveraging AI-powered reporting for critical performance metrics, expanding functionalities to transform service delivery, automating complex referral streams, and integrating with various service systems for seamless data flow.
Dedalus and North West Ambulance Service
Overview: In 2023 Dedalus launched the OneResponse Mobile app, used for the capture of incident information on over 4,000 iPads at North West Ambulance. As part of the move they introduced compliance with the NHS ambulance data set and brought GP Connect to all users, providing Patient Medical history at scene.
Why? To present an app which could be used on any operating system and any hardware but also be easily maintained and updated without the need for user interaction to apply software updates.
What happened? By May 2023 Dedalus was ready to pilot the new OneResponse mobile app. They had agreed a group of 30 NWAS digital champions who would use the product for a month and feedback to our team at Dedalus. In July, NWAS deployed the new mobile app to all of their 4,000 iPads. The first 3 days post ‘big bang’, we saw over 90 percent of incidents being created in the new app and had “resounding” feedback that the product and new features, particularly GP Connect, were a “major leap forward” from the previous windows product. OneResponse can be used in any environment, whether that’s capturing incident information in a major city where mobile broadband isn’t a problem or working completely offline in the remote regions of the UK. It is said to seamlessly capture and store the patient care record and will seamlessly sync data to Dedalus’s secure cloud when connectivity resumes, making it available at any receiving location prior to a patients arrival. It shares in real-time all ADS data captured with over 100 hospitals and receiving locations across the North West region, it is used to support over 3,000 patients per day and provide paramedics with key patient medical history via GP Connect integration.
Looking ahead. Dedalus plans to continue to monitor progress and respond to feedback on implementation as it emerges.
