Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust nominated twice for Health Service Journal Awards

SHEFFIELD Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been nominated twice for outstanding ideas improving patient care in the Health Service Journal Awards 2014 – one of the most coveted awards in healthcare.

The electronic check-in and workflow system in operation at Brearley Outpatients Department at the Northern General Hospital, which provides specialist services for patients with respiratory problems, including physiotherapy and cystic fibrosis.

A custom-built electronic check-in and workflow system set up in three outpatient clinics across the Trust, including at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital and the Northern General Hospital, has been nominated in the Improving Care with Technology category.

Developed and built by the Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering Department at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust it allows staff to see which patients are currently ready for their blood test, height and weight measurement or other consultation, and indicate who the patient should see next.

The electronic check-in and workflow system was set up in 2011 and currently processes 97,000 patient appointments per year. Information produced by the system has assisted consultants and managers in making changes to ensure that vital clinic investigations run as smoothly as possible.

Electronic check-in kiosks are already a common sight at many GP surgeries, but this innovation has a made a huge difference in three of the Trust’s outpatient clinics where patients are much more likely to see several healthcare professionals and managing appointments is a more complex process.

The Front Door Response Team ensure that patients’ needs are met in A&E, the medical surgical assessment units and the frailty unit at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust by acting as the main interface between hospital colleagues and community staff. This includes providing expert assessment and advice on support available to patients once they are discharged from hospital, enabling them to return home sooner. The team now provides services out of hours, including at the weekend.

Sir Andrew Cash, chief executive for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:

The Health Service Journal received the highest number of entries in the awards history, over 1,300, so to be shortlisted twice is a fantastic achievement. Cutting-edge innovations can make a huge difference to patient care, and I am delighted that two of our teams have been singled out as examples of best practice from thousands across the country.

The winners will be announced on Wednesday 19 November at an awards ceremony in London.

Source: http://www.sth.nhs.uk/