Here, we present finalists for the HTN Now Awards 2024 in the category of Healthcare Improvement/Operations Transformation.
Isla Health
Overview: Isla’s platform has transformed care at Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust (CLCH). With almost 3,000 weekly submissions across 67 teams, it enhances clinical decision-making, monitors conditions, and integrates with the Trust’s EPR, saving £1,248,600 through improved clinical efficiencies.
Why? At CLCH, transitioning from paper-based, face-to-face operations to digital methods has been a challenge, especially with 13.4 percent staff vacancies (March 2024) and high operational pressures.
What happened? The pilot project in Wandsworth and Merton, launched in 2020, focused on wound care management, enhancing efficiency, reliability, and auditability, leading to better patient care. Isla’s digital pathway platform allows clinicians to capture, upload, and share patient photos and videos in real-time, directly from the bedside. It improves collaboration, reduces home visits, and supports the Trust’s Digital Strategy by enabling remote monitoring, patient self-care, and mobile working for staff. Isla empowers both patients and clinicians, improving care delivery and system efficiency. By streamlining information sharing, reducing waiting times, minimising visits, and enhancing clinical decision-making, Isla has transformed patient care, improved clinical safety, and reduced data risks across specialties. Digitising wound photography has streamlined clinician workflows. A time-motion study revealed that using Isla saved 26 minutes per image upload session, compared to a previous method equating to 5.4 percent of a DN’s working day. The platform’s use has now reached the milestone of receiving almost 3,000 submissions per week from CLCH clinicians. The deployment of the platform has also resulted in cumulative financial savings of over £1,248,600 through improved clinical efficiencies, with total savings of £833,100 from the Apr 23- Mar 24 period alone, that’s a 650 percent ROI.
Looking ahead. The Trust is adapting to future challenges by expanding into patient submissions, offline access, and SystmOne integration, enhancing patient flow across NWL ICB. With nearly 3,000 weekly submissions and a recent expansion into sexual health and speech therapy, we celebrated 1,000 users on the Isla platform.
Radar Healthcare
Overview: At Radar Healthcare, we address the complexities of health and social care with a unified platform that simplifies risk management, enhances quality governance, and leverages real-time insights to improve patient, resident, and staff outcomes.
Why? Health and social care organisations today face an increasingly complex landscape, including fragmented systems which hinder visibility and decision-making, disjointed incident management, rising demand, and missed opportunities for data utilisation due to siloed data.
What happened? By fostering partnerships, we ensure that Radar Healthcare empowers organisations to achieve sustainable improvements in care delivery. Our software facilitates learning by tracking incidents, implementing corrective actions, and ensuring timely follow-ups. This fosters a culture of transparency, accountability, and ongoing enhancement. A case study with Exemplar Health Care, a specialist in complex needs care, resulted in a reduction in the number of severe incidents, and in the 2024 financial year, over 20,500 incidents were logged, a 64 percent increase on FY23. Over 1 million care interactions are monitored annually. With real-time tracking, real-time actions can be taken, significantly improving the support that can be provided to all services. Statistics from a case study at Lifeways Group show an 81 percent reduction in behavioural incidents through tailored interventions, improved planning, and staff training. In 2024/25, 21 services either maintained or improved their regulatory ratings. Radar Healthcare helped Lifeways manage over 23,000 incidents and 11,641 completed action plans in 2024. At Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, the team leveraged dashboards to provide real-time insights, enhance document management, and align governance across one of the largest healthcare systems in England.
Looking ahead. Radar Healthcare looks to continue to help support health and social care organisations in navigating an increasingly complex landscape, offering data and insights to support targeted intervention and planning.
Think Healthcare (Focus Group)
Overview: Analytics can sometimes feel like an area only applicable to a ‘big picture’ view, and not something that brings meaningful local change. With simple but effective data analysis combined with modern digital tools, Think Healthcare helped one practice move the needle and bring big benefits to the masses.
Why? The surgery faced several challenges common to many GP practices, including a lack of detailed data on patient interactions and service demand, along with challenges in managing appointment bookings, prescription requests, and routine enquiries at scale and through differing communication routes.
What happened? The solution, tailored specifically for NHS primary care settings, integrates the advanced Think Healthcare NHS Cloud Telephony module with Virtual Care Navigator (VCN). VCN enables 24/7 access to essential services, allowing patients to book, check, and cancel appointments, order repeat prescriptions, and access other vital services via phone; integrating seamlessly with existing clinical systems. The NHS Cloud Telephony System enhances communication with features like auto-callback, dynamic call routing for vulnerable patient groups, and advanced patient demand analytics to show ‘why’ patients call, not just call volumes. The implementation was a comprehensive process designed to ensure seamless integration and optimal performance involving customised data collection and analysis, performance monitoring and adjustment. Key results included a 92 percent patient access satisfaction rate, a third of calls handled by VCN daily, the automated handling of prescription requests reducing calls by 30 percent, and 80 percent filling the appointment request form immediately, reducing call queues and improving practice responsiveness. This allowed for the reallocation of 3.5 FTE of admin funding into clinical staff.
Looking ahead. By using advanced digital technology to look at the right data to make a difference locally, Think Healthcare hopes to continue to transform the day-to-day experience of all patients.
Insource Limited
Overview: NHSGGC’s Project Team implemented PP+ Cancer Pathway Management in only 7 months. The application provides real time visibility of the full cancer pathway to end users without a requirement to integrate source systems.
Why? NHSGGC’s existing cancer waiting times tracking legacy system was time limited, causing significant challenges for reporting which required manual manipulation to provide retrospective static snapshots. The version of PP+CPM used in NHS Highland, required development to meet NHSGGC requirements.
What happened? NHSGGC’s Project Team successfully delivered the implementation of PP+ Cancer Pathway Management in only 7 months. Powered by the Unified Data Layer (UDL), the application provides real time visibility of the full cancer pathway to end users without a requirement to integrate source systems. Dynamic escalation is unlocked, allowing for timely interventions to deliver shorter waits and help prevent breaches. Staff spend less time obtaining data and producing reports, estimated at 76 hours savings per week. Continuous waiting time visibility, dynamic generation of patient cohorts and real time action tracking delivers role based contextualised information allowing appropriate and timely actions. Early indications demonstrate a significant reduction in the number of patients waiting over 100 days from cancer diagnosis to treatment. The UDL allows for local and national reporting without intervention from other teams or systems, and provides data for secondary uses such as CPD, audit, research and evidencing service improvements.
Looking ahead. Moving forward further data items will be brought into the UDL bringing opportunities for further service improvements. Work continues to enhance functionality and reporting capabilities.
The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Cheshire and Merseyside Rehabilitation Network (CMRN)
Overview: The development of a network collaborative Rehabilitation Coordination Service provided a streamlined and efficient model for the utilisation of data in the management of 103 beds; supporting timely and appropriate access to specialist rehabilitation for patients across Cheshire and Merseyside.
Why? Cheshire and Merseyside faced pressures on specialist rehabilitation provision following traumatic injury or illness, constraints on bed capacity and patient flow and challenges with existing pathways.
What happened? By having a dedicated team of rehabilitation coordinators, redeveloping processes and utilising analytical insights, the CMRN established a Rehabilitation Coordination Service (RCS) as an optimised operating model to proactively manage demand and maximise capacity. The RCS offers timely assessment, maintaining the KPI target with 90 percent of patients assessed within 3 days by use of a Single Point of Contact for referrers from referral through to admission. It also supports an improved admission process, with over 80 percent admitted within 14 days target, thereby relieving pressures on acute beds/wider system and optimising patient clinical outcomes and experience. It offers reliable and visible data shared via bed occupancy through daily situational reports, weekly referral meetings and weekly patient flow huddle; and increased compliance with 100 percent of patients having an expected date of discharge (EDD) which is a key driver for demand, capacity and discharge planning. The RCS delivers a CMRN wide bed management function. A database has been developed to collect and present data with operational and clinical focus, in a visual and easy-to-digest format providing situational awareness at ward and network level to better understand demand, capacity and activity to drive efficiencies.
Looking ahead. The team hopes to continue to drive improvements utilising the RCS and the data and insights it shares.
Alertive Ltd
Overview: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust accelerates care delivery by using digital communication to transform test result and triage efficiency.
Why? Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) faced critical communication challenges. Reliance on outdated tools such as pagers, combined with inefficient manual processes, led to significant delays in patient care, increased stress for staff, and reduced operational efficiency.
What happened? NNUH engaged clinical leads, digital health specialists, and change agents to train staff, provide on-site support, and address concerns during the rollout. Alertive’s role-based communication system streamlined workflows by ensuring messages were sent to the right person or team, reducing misdirected referrals. Alerts were prioritised by urgency, helping staff focus on critical tasks. There was a phased rollout to key departments including pathology, emergency, radiology, and pharmacy. The time to communicate pathology results dropped by 93 percent, from 53 minutes to just 7 minutes, now instantly available with the BlodBot going live. The proportion of ED patients triaged, admitted, transferred, or discharged within the 4-hour target increased by 7.9 percent, equating to 1,500 more patients meeting the target each month. The percentage of ambulances turned around within 15 minutes increased by 160 percent, while those waiting over an hour decreased by 44 percent, alleviating ED congestion. Alertive users reported a 47 percent reduction in stress levels and a 23 percent decrease in burnout. Excessive messaging outside of working hours decreased by 62 percent. Alertive’s messaging provided a robust audit trail, enabling the Trust to review communication records during investigations and continuously improve processes.
Looking ahead. Alertive’s adoption at NNUH continues to grow, and this case study not only highlights NNUH’s success, but also provides a blueprint for other healthcare organisations seeking to optimise communication and operational efficiency.
Feedback Medical
Overview: By implementing Bleepa®, Queen Victoria Hospital enabled the integration of diverse diagnostic tests and effective case management across primary and secondary care. This led to a 63 percent reduction in patient wait times from referral to treatment against national standards and a 90 percent decrease in outpatient appointments.
Why? Breathlessness accounts for 5 percent of presentations to emergency departments, approximately 4 percent of GP consultations and reported by patients in 12 percent of medical admissions. Multiple investigations are likely to be required, and early and accurate diagnosis is critical to ensure the best outcome for the patient.
What happened? QVH partnered with Feedback Medical to initiate a pilot to explore Bleepa®’s capabilities to optimise the breathlessness pathway. A steering group, including key members from QVH and Feedback Medical, as well as GP partners from a local practice, was set up to oversee the project and keep it on track. Training was tailored to the needs of different staff, and the system was tested by users to ensure it worked well before full training began. Regular communication with all levels of staff – from GPs to teams across QVH – meant everyone had a voice and felt part of the process, which encouraged commitment and ownership. Key measurable improvements included a 63 percent reduction in patient wait times from referral to treatment for the breathlessness pathway compared to the 18-week national target (46 days compared to 126 days); a 45 percent reduction in referral to diagnostic test wait times compared to the national target; and a 90 percent reduction in outpatient appointment requirements. 377k hours of consultant time could be released back for a single pathway, and £315k-£787k could be saved per pathway for an ICB. If these benefits were achieved more widely it could save Sussex ICS £314,880 or even £16.9 million nationally with one pathway.
Looking ahead. 10 practices have onboarded Bleepa® and a further 12 are scheduled, with an aim to expand to all GP practices in the region and move beyond the breathlessness pathway. The team has worked across NHS England with others aiming to emulate the programme.
e18 Innovation
Overview: e18 Innovation is a UK based female led SME which revolutionises NHS operations through intelligent automation, enhancing patient care and operational efficiency. Collaborating with over 50 NHS organisations, e18 has successfully automated processes in areas such as outpatients, cancer, clinical coding, and EPR implementations.
Why? The NHS is confronting significant financial challenges, leading to staff reductions and recruitment freezes, particularly among non-clinical personnel. These measures risk overburdening the remaining staff and potentially compromising patient care.
What happened? The team has developed a library of over 300 pre-built automation processes, specifically designed to address common challenges across NHS trusts. These proven solutions are readily available to accelerate adoption, delivering quicker return on investment and maximising value for organisations. One of e18’s flagship projects involved automating waiting list validation for outpatient pathways. University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust collaborated with e18 Innovation to address the challenges of managing extensive outpatient waiting lists. e18 implemented an intelligent automation solution that validated patient records by systematically reviewing waiting lists, the automation removed thousands of patients who no longer required appointments. This streamlined process significantly improved data integrity and enabled UHSx to remove over 13 percent of patients from the Waiting List. In another example of operational transformation, e18 collaborated with Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to automate cardiology coding. By automating labour-intensive processes, e18 has saved hundreds of thousands of hours for NHS staff, allowing them to focus on patient care. e18’s solutions have delivered significant cost reductions for trusts, enabling reinvestment in frontline services.
Looking ahead. Looking ahead, e18 is poised to expand its reach, scaling its solutions to benefit even more NHS trusts. With a steadfast commitment to innovation and an unwavering focus on improving healthcare, e18 Innovation continues to lead the way in automation and AI.
NHS Shared Business Services
Overview: NHS SBS partnered with Norfolk and Waveney ICB to provide an integrated finance and procurement service to its Trusts. NHS SBS’s Enhanced Purchase-to-Pay offer, a component of this, integrates catalogues, inventory and materials management, enabling overhead savings of circa £3.9m.
Why? Trusts in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System (ICS) have long believed more can be achieved together than alone. Yet their geographical locations and the lack of integrated technology and processes made that difficult.
What happened? Trust leaders took the bold decision to move to a single, unified finance and procurement system across all five member Trusts. One element of the programme centred on implementing NHS SBS’s Enhanced Purchase-to-Pay (EP2P) solution, an end-to-end source to settle solution, combined with built-in access to catalogues and Inventory and Materials Management, to provide a consistent ICB-wide solution. A joint NHS SBS and N&W ICS Transformation Team was formed to design, develop and implement the solution to transact against a consistent ICS-wide Product Information Management system (PIMs), provide consistent processes across all organisations, automate the creation and electronic despatch of compliant purchase orders (POs) to suppliers, and fully integrate the catalogue to the new IMS and Materials Management Solution deployed at each individual Trust. 94 percent of all PO lines were generated and despatched automatically, with a conversion rate of requisitions into POs reduced from 2 days per order to 10 minutes. Reduction in levels of non-PO spend and an increase in the number of valid electronic POs to suppliers by over 200 percent, significantly improving spend control, compliance and assurance. Creation of an ICB-wide catalogue containing >1,000,000 frequently ordered items, reduced requisitioning time by 50 percent.
Looking ahead. The EP2P Operating Model developed with NHS SBS is a pathfinder deployment for NHS SBS to use with other NHS clients to develop and enhance existing and future procurement services.
Lutra Health
Overview: Digitising the cataract pathway: increasing efficiency in the NHS with LutraHealth, a new platform enhancing community eyecare data.
Why? Over 500,000 cataract surgeries are performed annually in the UK. Traditionally, this process involves an initial exam by a local optometrist, who then sends a referral to the cataract surgical centre. The patient undergoes a re-examination at the hospital, resulting in duplicated data capture. LutraHealth was developed to streamline this process.
What happened? In July 2023, LutraHealth partnered with Tayside’s ophthalmology department and local optometrists for a pilot study. From July 2023 to the present day, LutraHealth has processed 824 referrals, with 90 percent listed for surgery without a pre-operative outpatient review, exceeding the target of 75 percent. This saved over £70,000 and freed up 740 face-to-face appointments for patients with more pressing ocular issues. On average, patients were listed for surgery within 14 days, compared to 182 days in the traditional pathway. Feedback from 71 patients surveyed was overwhelmingly positive. Both optometrists and the surgical team found the system to be efficient and user-friendly. The trial has saved an estimated £70,000. Extrapolating these savings to the 3,000 cataract referrals received annually by the Tayside department, the estimated savings are over £300,000. Nationally, for an estimated 300,000 cataract referrals, the savings could amount to £36,000,000. Additional outcomes include medical team time saved from reduced outpatient appointments; freeing up clinic space and nursing time to be allocated to other patient groups; minimised economic activity loss from relatives bringing patients to appointments; and carbon savings from reduced hospital journeys—estimated at over 3 million tonnes of CO2 nationally.
Looking ahead. LutraHealth plans to expand its pilot program with Tayside to include the shared care of glaucoma patients between community optometrists and hospital ophthalmologists. This aims to address the backlog of glaucoma patients, many of whom can be managed by optometrists.
Surrey & Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust and Imprivata
Overview: Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust has transformed the way it records images for wound care with an Imprivata solution. The Trust has deployed Imprivata Mobile Device Access on Zebra devices, improving efficiency, security and compliance on clinical workflows and helping to meet care pathway targets.
Why? In 2024 SASH had introduced a new care pathway, Purpose T, to address a gap on how pressure damage and other skin wounds were reported and recorded. However, reporting was inconsistent, with no set workflow for imaging to record progress, ultimately having an effect on the care received by patients.
What happened? The IT team, working with the CNIO, Lucy Weeks, worked closely with Imprivata to explore ways of extending the Imprivata Access Management platform to support their mobile workflows as part of Purpose T. The IT and Training team at SASH deployed 50 Zebra devices across the Trust. The initial deployment was based on which departments had the strongest need. Anyone with an Imprivata Mobile Device Access user account (approximately 3,500 staff) is now provisioned to use the devices. Results included significant time savings for staff, reduced frustration for clinical users logging in to the new Zebra devices, photos taken added instantly to the Cerner EPR patient record for other users to see, improved adoption of EPR and sore and wound care workflows on mobile devices, and targets now being met for the new Purpose T care pathway. With the new fast user access, staff can share the devices more easily, significantly reducing the number of devices required per ward or department. The solution is now used in stoma care, endoscopy, out-patients, and dentistry. After device login, staff can take the images required and associate them with the correct patient record within the EPR, making the images instantly available to other members of the team, as needed.
Looking ahead. As the rollout of the Zebra devices with Imprivata Mobile Device Access continues across more and more departments, the IT Team is working with the CNIO to identify which other clinical apps could be introduced to the devices.
