HSJ Awards 2014: Improving Care With Technology

Alder Hey Children’s Foundation Trust: Innovation service

The judges hailed the “very clear messages” given out by the project. They particularly liked the “impressive” innovation hub and the “fantastic” hot-house.

About to move to state-of-the-art £270 million new buildings, Alder Hey Children’s Foundation Trust set about developing its working practices to meet its forthcoming environment.

The trust formed a partnership with BT and set up a dedicated innovation service, staffed by a team of clinicians, executives and project managers.

Five areas of future IT development were chosen: patient experience; telehealth; digital testing grounds; technology in innovation; and stand-alone software.

An innovation ‘hot house’ was held, with patients, parents, clinicians, programmers and others spending three days identifying opportunities to improve patient experience. Three working demonstrations were produced which could be commercialised to fund future activity.

Portable urinalysis machines have been placed in homes of a pilot group of chronically ill patients, with a handset to relay results and provide information.

A mock-up hospital has been created alongside a showcase of modern digital infrastructure; and an innovation portal has been created to allow streamlined submission of ideas.

The trust is working alongside BT to develop apps within a tightly regulated environment and believes the partnership model could benefit other hospitals.

Other finalists’ projects:

• Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Foundation Trust – Dean Street Express
• Bristol Community Health – Releasing time to care through mobile working
• Cornwall Partnership Foundation Trust – Epilepsy rescue medication training, a consistent dilemma of inconsistency: using web based technology to keep patients safe
• County Durham and Darlington Foundation Trust – Health call INR monitoring
• Donisthorpe Hall Care Home - Improving elderly care through sharing electronic medical records
• Dr Toolbox, Health Education England and North West Thames Foundation School – Dr Toolbox, enabling trainees
• HCL Clarity – From requisition to recruitment: How HCL Clarity brought efficiency and safety to the NHS workforce
• Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital Foundation Trust – Innovative use of IT to improve patient outcomes and organisational efficiency
• Royal United Hospital Bath Trust – Success in using technology to reduce patient harm – pressure ulcer incidence reduced by 87 per cent
• Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Foundation Trust – electronic check-in and process workflow for outpatient clinics