Weston General Hospital switches to smartphone-based technology to simplify ward assessments

Medical staff at Weston General Hospital are switching to smartphone-based technology to communicate patient details as an ‘archaic’ paper-based system is dropped.

The Trust which runs the hospital has teamed up with Perfect Ward to implement an easy-to-use app, which uses technology to simplify ward assessments.

Previously, ward assessments were paper-based which meant medical staff spent a significant amount of time writing up findings and analysing results.

The app, which will be used primarily by nurses at the hospital, will allow staff to capture ward inspections on their smartphones or tablets that can be shared with colleagues and provide  nurses with instant feedback.

The technology will also eliminate time-consuming administration – helping to improve quality and overall patient care.

Weston joins the vanguard of healthcare organisations choosing Perfect Ward to improve quality audits including London Ambulance Service NHS Trust, Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and The Royal Buckinghamshire Hospital.

Speaking on the technology, Sally Matravers, Associate Director of Nursing at Weston Area Health NHS Trust, said:

As a forward-thinking Trust, we are always looking for ways to improve the efficiency of our operations. We’re incredibly excited to be adopting Perfect Ward as we move away from paper in-line with Department of Health objectives.

Our nurses were struggling with high levels of administration which can sometimes make it more difficult to immediately see what is working well and what needs to improve.

The Perfect Ward app, which is incredibly straight forward to use, makes the process easy for our nurses, saves us time and improves the detail and quality of our inspections.

Karen West, Head of Business Development at Perfect Ward, said:

We are delighted to have been chosen by Weston Area Health NHS Trust to help them improve their quality audits. It’s always rewarding to see the positive impact Perfect Ward has in reducing the administrative burden of key front line staff.

At Weston, it’s been fantastic to see how the adoption of Perfect Ward has eased admin pressures and given a fresh view on how ways of working can be improved through digital technology. We look forward to working with Sally and her colleagues to improve inspection quality and efficiency further.