Smart technology for safer patient care

Throughout its 76-year history, the NHS has undoubtedly evolved, but it is now experiencing what is considered ‘possibly the greatest wave of innovation in the history of our NHS’.

This period of transformation aims to revolutionise healthcare delivery, making it more efficient, responsive, and patient-centred. The commitment to tech-enabled care is highlighted as the chance to improve or even reshape how care is delivered and experienced.

A second theme for the use of technology is to free up staff time and improve productivity. With research suggesting healthcare workers can lose up to two hours per shift locating devices, central to this transformation is the concept of enhancing asset management and operational efficiency, both critical components in improving patient care.

Addressing the challenges in a stretched healthcare system

In an era where healthcare resources are stretched thin, to the extent that almost half of nursing students in England have considered quitting before they graduate, proper maintenance support is required to build a sustainable workforce ready to commit to the future of health and care services.

This includes asset and resource management as an essential strategy. The efficient management of medical equipment helps healthcare providers streamline their processes, reducing the time and effort spent on handling and locating equipment. This allows staff to focus more on patient care rather than managing resources.

Effective asset management systems can alleviate common issues faced in healthcare settings, such as equipment misplacement, unauthorised access, and maintenance delays.

By implementing advanced asset management technologies, healthcare facilities can ensure critical equipment is always available when needed, minimising disruptions to everyday responsibilities with no compromise to the welcoming and calming environment created.

Leveraging intelligent technology for better management

Intelligent asset management technology offers essential tools that enhance the management of medical equipment. Key features include real-time tracking, secure access controls, and comprehensive reporting capabilities.

Real-time tracking enables healthcare staff to monitor the location and status of equipment at any given time, reducing the risk of misplaced or unaccounted-for devices. Secure access controls ensure only authorised personnel can access critical equipment, protecting against unauthorised use and potential tampering.

Comprehensive reporting capabilities provide valuable insights into equipment usage, helping facilities optimise inventory management and maintenance practices.

By integrating these advanced technologies, healthcare facilities can achieve greater transparency and control over their assets. This not only improves the management of individual pieces of equipment but also enhances overall operational workflows, contributing to a more efficient and responsive healthcare environment.

•  Case study 1 — Brighton & Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust is one example of how healthcare facilities are making key management an embedded aspect of its health, safety and security procedures, and working towards more efficacy in the future.

The Trust itself has highlighted its own agenda, with a dedicated ‘Patient first programme,’ supported by five pillars, each designed to help achieve its vision. The first is about getting front-line staff to approach problem-solving and root cause analysis from a different, ceaselessly inquisitive perspective.

We worked with staff to improve the safety and accountability of the drugs issuing process at Brighton and Sussex NHS Trust, by installing its key management solutions.

Previously, keys to drugs lockers were issued manually, with one member of staff acting as a steward. This led to human error, difficulties in locating the keys and additional administration duties for busy ward staff.

Despite the thorough manual processes in place and most staff remaining vigilant, stock discrepancies did occur, sometimes through genuine human error and in other cases, theft. This had serious security and cost implications for the Trust.

Authorised access

After working with us, the keys to the drug lockers are stored within an intelligent key cabinet. Through the ward staff’s existing credentials, only authorised personnel can access the cabinet. Furthermore, the keys inside the system are locked in place by Traka’s secure iFobs, which means a hierarchy of access rights can be given to each key, depending on the strength or skill of administrating each drug. Within the cabinet, only certain keys will be available depending on the pre-determined access rights.

To maximise the security, the key cabinet has been programmed so that two members of staff need to swipe their credential to take and to return a key to the system. This creates greater accountability and encourages an easy-to-achieve best practice amongst ward staff.

Chris Robinson, Security Systems Manager for Brighton and Sussex NHS Trust, said: “The Traka system has made a massive difference to the drugs dispensing process on the wards. From a health and safety perspective, we can have greater confidence that drugs do not get into the wrong hands, or that untrained workers cannot get hold of drugs they are not authorised to administer. From the ward staff’s point of view, it has taken away timely administration tasks, and the frustrations of trying to locate keys when a patient needs medication.

“Accountability is also a major part of the benefits for us. Since installation, the frequency of stock discrepancies has been dramatically reduced. When there are questions raised, the reporting functionality that the system offers lets us know who has accessed what key and when, so we can track down the person responsible and find out more.”

Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust also installed a Traka system to manage access in and around the estates. Two large key cabinets situated outside the security office allow authorised personnel with access to sensitive areas of the hospital to easily retrieve the keys they are permitted to use.

This system considerably reduces additional administration efforts from security staff and allows people to access keys easily and safely. There is also a curfew on keys to certain areas, meaning that security staff are alerted if a key is meant to be returned at a certain time, providing greater levels of accountability and health and safety.

Supporting the NHS’s vision for the future

The NHS’s vision for a future where accessing critical data and managing assets is seamless and efficient is a crucial step toward delivering better patient care. As the healthcare sector continues to evolve, the need for effective asset management and operational efficiency becomes increasingly important.

By adopting innovative solutions and technologies, healthcare providers can support this vision and contribute to a more patient-centred approach to care.

The systems themselves are naturally advancing in line with healthcare requirements. This is particularly important in areas like palliative care and pain management, where syringe drivers are essential devices used to administer medication in a controlled and precise manner.

Their management involves not just storage but also ensuring they are readily accessible to authorised personnel and maintained in optimal working conditions.

Healthcare managers have been identified to experience daily issues of syringe drivers going missing in hospitals and community care settings nationwide.

With this crisis costing the sector millions per year when devices are misplaced or stolen, resources are also used by critical staff coming away from everyday roles to locate syringe drivers, impacting patient care.

Effective asset management systems help in achieving this by providing a structured approach to equipment handling, from storage and tracking to maintenance and usage.

•  Case Study 2 — HMP Dovegate

We have worked in partnership with leading specialists in public health services to develop innovative locker technology to enable inmates at HMP Dovegate to access medicine without seeing a doctor or nurse.

Saving essential resources by using biometric access linked to the prison scheduling system, our Medical Distribution Lockers (MDL) allow prisoners to collect their in-possession medicines without the need to see medical personnel.

The solution, which has been developed in partnership with Serco, who run HMP Dovegate on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, Unilink who designed and developed the software, and Care UK, the prison’s healthcare partner, was trialled in the Therapeutic Centre at HMP Dovegate.

The use of medical lockers has reduced the need for close personal contact as well as the waiting times for prisoners, as they no longer have to queue to collect their medication.

Hayley Peek, senior health and social care business partner at Serco, which runs the Uttoxeter facility, said: “COVID-19 presented new challenges around the delivery of medications within prisons and there was a need to consider new ways of delivering essential medication services to prisoners.”

Dispensing and distributing

“This Medical Distribution Locker concept will undoubtedly have a role to play and be one of the many innovations which will support our prisons after already proving to be hugely beneficial in this pilot phase.”

The lockers were developed and piloted in consultation with several interested stakeholders including custodial officers, the healthcare provider, nursing and pharmacy specialists, IT, engineering, FM and prisoners.

Ms Peek added: “In recent years the use of medication in custodial settings has increased. There have been several factors behind this, including increases in prisoner numbers; an ageing prisoner population; the prevalence of poor health and long-term conditions amongst prisoners.

“This has taken place against a background of national increases in medication usage and changes in medicines classification of tradable medication. Consequently, scoping of a safer more efficient technological solution was the most logical approach to improving care.

“This trial aimed to understand prisoners’ perception of the medication process and monitor changes following the implementation of a remote collection unit. The objectives of the pilot were to design and install a technological solution to enable the remote collection of ‘in-possession medication’, assess the solution, and share lessons learned.

“It is very encouraging that 80 per cent of respondents found the lockers easy to use and we received some constructive suggestions for further enhancements. This together with the excellent working relationships with our core partners and service users has meant the initial findings are extremely encouraging. As a result, the lockers will now be rolled out through the entire prison; this will be funded by the Prisoner Amenities Fund.”

Francis Toye, Unilink CEO, said: “Unilink is very pleased to be working with Serco, Traka and Care UK in a partnership to deliver innovative new ways of working.”

Medicine is considered ‘in-possession’ if a person (usually in a prison or secure setting) is responsible for holding and taking it themselves and therefore delivery via a technological solution is within regulatory requirements.

The path forward

The NHS Confederation’s manifesto Building the Health of the Nation: Priorities for a New Government was published in February 2024.

This identifies the key areas health and care leaders want to see the new government focus on, with investment in its workforce and its long-term strategy highlighted as priorities.

The importance of adopting innovative technologies is clear. Intelligent electronic management solutions offer a transformative approach to asset management, allowing healthcare facilities to streamline operations and improve patient care.

The integration of real-time tracking, secure access controls, and comprehensive reporting capabilities ensures critical resources and equipment are always accounted for and readily accessible. This technological advancement is instrumental in overcoming common issues such as equipment misplacement, unauthorised access, and maintenance delays.

By leveraging these advanced systems, healthcare providers can significantly reduce the time and effort spent on locating and managing equipment with instant capability to provide clear visibility of location and status.

The role of continued innovation

Looking ahead, the role of continued innovation in healthcare technology will be essential in driving progress and achieving the NHS’s vision for the future.

Intelligent asset management solutions are just one example of how technological advancements can contribute to a more efficient and effective healthcare system. As new challenges and opportunities arise, ongoing innovation will be necessary to address emerging needs and enhance the overall quality of care.

Across other healthcare facilities, even going back to basics to ensure intelligent key control has made a significant difference in everyday activity for NHS staff, supporting their mental and physical well-being and the functional running within a hospital environment.

Healthcare providers must remain proactive in exploring and adopting new technologies that align with their operational goals and patient care objectives. By embracing innovation and leveraging advanced solutions, the NHS can continue to lead the way in transforming healthcare delivery and improving patient outcomes.

And this is before we embrace the opportunities of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) which hold significant promise for transforming healthcare, especially to enhance diagnostic accuracy and streamlining operations.

Working in partnership

We share a deep understanding of the unique demands and complexities of healthcare facilities and is well-positioned to assist in optimising asset management, enhancing operational efficiency, and ultimately improving patient care.

A leading NHS foundation trust has installed our intelligent key cabinets at a global research and development unit with the responsibility to spearhead advancements in medical science. This enables it to uphold rigorous security protocols and enable authorised access management to keys, data and assets.

A mental health facility has placed its critical key management in the hands of our Touch cabinets at leading mental health facilities in support of young people. Described as essential to optimise resource management within the team and support an ability to deliver the highest standards of patient safety and security.

Intelligent key management systems ensure 
critical access points, such as drug storage areas and sensitive medical equipment rooms, are securely managed. Enhanced visibility proves crucial in maintaining high security and accountability standards, particularly in high-stakes areas like pharmaceutical management.

Our asset management solutions include the launch of syringe driver management lockers to enhance accountability and streamline operations. The benefits include security and compliance, alongside traceability of which staff member has a device in their possession, using real-time locating systems (RTLS) to track equipment on a journey around a hospital.

By leveraging our solutions, healthcare facilities can enhance their operational efficiency, secure critical assets, and ultimately contribute to better patient outcomes. We can support the Department for Health and Social Care to create a ‘world-leading technology and data-driven health and social care system.’ One that is available for all.