Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust runs two general hospitals at Sutton-in-Ashfield and Newark and two community hospitals at Mansfield and Kirkby-in-Ashfield. Each year the Trust treats more than 70,000 inpatients, handles over 100,000 accident and emergency (A&E) cases, and sees almost 250,000 outpatients.
Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust recognised that improving communications between staff was key to enhancing patient care, increasing productivity, and meeting government targets (for example, limiting waits at A&E to under four hours). Like many hospitals its legacy voice communication methods were based on fixed telephony. Reactive paging systems meant that clinical staff needed to call switchboard operators to bleep their colleagues. Response times were reliant upon unpredictable factors such as the local availability of a free telephone. At night, these problems were magnified.
The Trust had already recognised the potential of IP-based wireless technology to achieve improvements in its systems and processes. Trevor Ludlam, Director, North Nottinghamshire Informatics Service, says: We needed a wireless network to enable computer system access as near the patient as possible. We worked in partnership with BT to design the wireless network. BT is also interested in helping us to make our staff more efficient, and they provide wireless applications such as Vocera. BT-managed Vocera is a communications system that employs voice over IP technology over the wireless infrastructure to provide supremely flexible voice-activated mobile telephony. A lightweight hands-free telephony device commonly known as a badge is worn on a lanyard around the neck or clipped to the user's clothing. The device permits instant wireless voice communication between staff, simply by pressing a button on the badge and speaking the name of the person to be connected. Text and email communication are also possible, displayed on a small screen on the badge using text-to-speech conversion. Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust immediately saw the potential of the technology and decided to run a trial in the A&E, Radiology and Medical Admissions departments at its flagship King's Mill Hospital. BT undertook to install the wireless LAN and integrate the Vocera server, which operates the voice recognition software, and thereafter run the system as a managed service.
Jeffrey Worrall, CEO at Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, says: One of the key benefits of the BT solution is its use in improving efficiency. In particular, in A&E, we have been able to move patients more quickly into admitting departments, using the system to communicate between A&E and the site co-ordination staff. The trial, starting in January 2006, was coupled with a structured programme to measure the benefits, and BT specialists worked closely with the Trust. Karl Miller, Superintendent Radiographer, underlines the dramatic improvements in point-of-care service: Multi-tasking has become a reality, and waiting times are definitely falling. I must be easily saving at least an hour-and-a-half every day Phil Bolton, Senior Trauma and Specialist Nurse, adds: Staff attending someone who is critically ill don't have to leave the patient to answer the telephone or speak to their colleagues. They are in full communication while dealing with the situation. The Trust has decided to quadruple its licensed user base to 300, bringing in further departments at King's Mill and, later, other Trust hospitals. BT have got specialist technical skills, and they provide ongoing support, says Trevor Ludlam. The use of this BT-managed wireless voice application shows that communications can be improved instantly. We don't have to wait for people to answer their pagers and we can immediately find the resource we need, wherever it's closest to the patient. I believe the benefits will be enormous. Further benefits include much shorter times to mobilise crash teams, better utilisation of plaster room and operating theatre slots, improved staff safety especially at night and up-to-the-minute reports on the location and readiness of beds to receive patients. It has also brought gains to service departments, including porters, cleaners or facilities managers who are better able to respond, enabling hospital premises to be kept cleaner and helping to reduce the risks of MRSA. Jeffrey Worrall concludes: The BT-managed Vocera system is very intuitive. It's the first time I've seen a technology generate so much enthusiasm amongst general staff. Wireless technology can actually transform the way we run our business. The BT-managed Vocera application can be used in many settings; it's not just a health service application. Where you've got wireless networks, where you've got people who need to communicate, this can transform the way they organise themselves.
A BT managed wireless network platform using Cisco technology will provide a centralised, scalable solution built on Cisco 1000 series lightweight access points. Operating on 802.11 protocol it will utilise centralised controllers and a dedicated management platform within a Cisco Structured Wireless Aware Network (SWAN). It can automatically locate Cisco wireless LAN controllers over any Layer 2 or Layer 3 infrastructure. At Sherwood Forest it is integrated with the Vocera server, messaging interface and wireless access points. The Vocera Communications System is a breakthrough wireless platform that provides hands-free, voice communication throughout any 802.11b networked building or campus. Vocera is designed to increase business productivity, teamwork, and customer service levels. The system enables fluid, instant voice conversations among team members, across groups, and throughout an organization of mobile professionals. The Vocera Communications System is made up of two elements: the Vocera System Software and the Vocera Communications Badge. The Vocera System Software runs on a standard Windows server and houses the centralised system intelligence: the call manager, user manager, and connection manager programs as well as the Nuance speech recognition software and various databases. The Vocera Communications Badge is a wearable device that weighs less than two ounces and can easily be clipped to a shirt pocket or worn on a lanyard. It enables instant two-way voice conversation without the need to remember a phone number or manipulate a handset. The Vocera Communications Badge is controlled using natural spoken commands. In addition, when a live conversation is not necessary, text messages and alerts can be sent to the LCD screen on the back of the Vocera Communications Badge.
Understanding of the healthcare clinical and business environment, through in-depth involvement in NHS and private projects at national and local level
BT provides a fully managed Vocera service with value added offerings such as assistance in benefits realisation and measurement
Track record in installation and maintenance of secure wireless networks, and expert assistance with system development
