Health Business 12.1

VOLUME 12.1 www.healthbusinessuk.net

ENERGY

CATERING

HEALTHCARE reveals IT Survey attitudes to connected

health across the globe

SECURITY The case for biometric-based access in healthcare

PRIVATE AMBULANCES

Helping the NHS meet increasing demands for patient transport

HEALTH BUSINESS AWARDS

Excellence in the NHS recognised

NEWS – Government backs NHS Future Forum | Further funding for home care

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

VolumE 12.1 www.healthbusinessuk.net

ENERGY

CATERING

HEAlTHCARE reveals IT Survey attitudes to connected

health across the globe

SECuRITY The case for biometric-based access in healthcare

PRIVATE AmBulANCES

Helping the NHS meet increasing demands for patient transport

HEAlTH BuSINESS AWARDS

Excellence in the NHS recognised

NEWS – Government backs NHS Future Forum | Further funding for home care

Comment

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

DEAR READER The start of 2012 has seen the government accept all recommendations from the NHS Future Forum report.

These include putting in place a new approach to staff training and workforce planning, which puts employers ‘in the driving seat’ to create a flexible, local workforce.

NHS Employers’ director Dean Royles supports the new workforce arrangements being employer-led, saying: “It’s great to see a strong focus on the role of employers in driving the new system. This has been lacking in the current machinery. This is a real opportunity to link the planning and development of the workforce with local patient needs and future service delivery.” See the full news story on page 9.

Meanwhile, the future of connected health is discussed on page 27, where the findings of an Accenture survey, which gathered the opinions of doctors across eight countries on the benefits of healthcare IT, are revealed. The survey of 3,700 doctors found that while there is common agreement on the top benefits of technology across countries, some physicians do not yet see all the benefits, especially those over 50 or those who are not actively using IT.

Angela Pisanu

P ONLINE P IN PRINT P MOBILE P FACE TO FACE If you would like to receive all issues of Health Business magazine for £95 a year, please contact Public Sector Information Limited, 226 High Road, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055, Fax: 020 8532 0066, or visit the Health Business website at:

www.healthbusinessuk.net PUBLISHED BY PUBLIC SECTOR INFORMATION LIMITED

226 High Rd, Loughton, Essex IG10 1ET. Tel: 020 8532 0055 Fax: 020 8532 0066 Web: www.psi-media.co.uk EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Danny Wright ASSISTANT EDITOR Angela Pisanu PRODUCTION EDITOR Karl O’Sullivan PRODUCTION DESIGN Jacqueline Grist PRODUCTION CONTROL Julie White ADVERTISEMENT SALES Jasmina Zaveri, Beverley Sennett, Kim Fouracre, Amanda Frodsham, Jeremy Cox ADMINISTRATION Victoria Leftwich SALES SUPERVISOR Marina Grant PUBLISHER Karen Hopps GROUP PUBLISHER Barry Doyle REPRODUCTION & PRINT Argent Media

© 2012 Public Sector Information Limited. No part of this publication can be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any other means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher. Whilst every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the editorial content the publisher cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. ISSN 1362 - 2541

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

03

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Contents

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

CONTENTS 07 NEWS

21 SECURITY

35 CATERING

11 ENERGY

David Storch discusses the end of passwords as a secure accesscontrol measure in the health sector and the future of biometrics

Heston Blumenthal’s dinner menu raised some eyebrows at Alder Hey Children’s hospital. The chef now looks at seaweed to bring some flavour into NHS meals

27 HEALTHCARE IT

37 HB AWARDS

The attitudes of doctors across eight countries on the benefits of connected health are revealed

Find out which health organisations picked up a Health Business Award at the 2011 ceremony

33 DATA DESTRUCTION

41 LEARNING & DEVELOPMENT

What carbon cutting initiatives are NHS Trusts up to around the country?

15 INFECTION CONTROL Will cleaning cutbacks in the health sector put ward hygiene and patient safety at risk?

17 PATIENT TRANSPORT

What is the best way to ensure confidential health records are disposed of in compliant manner?

The Shredding Alliance investigates

David Davis from the Independent Ambulance Association explains how the private ambulance sector is working with the NHS to improve patient care

A preview of this year’s Learning Technologies Exhibition and Conference, which focuses on the technologies used in workplace learning

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SOCIAL CARE

Further funding for home care announced A one-off additional £150m is to be invested in social care services. The funding will enable local services to discharge patients from hospital more quickly and provide effective ongoing support for people in their own homes.

The aim is to reduce the pressure on health services, and particularly hospitals during the winter period.

The funds will be allocated to Primary Care Trusts in England for immediate transfer to local authorities An additional £20 million will also be

allocated to the Disabled Facilities Grant for 2011/12 to help more people with a disability to access the aids and adaptations they require to live independently at home.

This will save them from an unnecessary stay in hospital or going into residential care.

Allocations will be confirmed shortly by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Over 60 per cent of nurses attacked on community duties According to a Royal College of Nursing (RCN) survey, over 60 per cent of nurses have been verbally or physically attacked while working in the community over the last two years. The survey of nearly 800 RCN members found that six in ten (60.3 per cent) of nurses had suffered verbal abuse, while one in ten (10.7 per cent) had been victims of physical abuse.

Nearly 11 per cent of RCN members also reported

they had suffered physical abuse at the hands of patients during home visits. Nearly half of nurses who responded did not feel that their employer would take action over verbal abuse, while over a quarter were not convinced they would take action over physical assault. The survey also showed that over half (54.9 per cent) of nurses are working outside of normal office hours and feel less safe than those working within office hours.

News

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NEWS IN BRIEF Pilot to relax GP boundaries

Patients will be able to choose which GP they register with under new government plans. That could mean patients using GPs where they work or keeping the same family doctor when they move.

The scheme will be piloted in parts of London, Manchester and Nottingham for a year from April. Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “Many patients are happy with their local GP practice, but a significant minority have problems registering with a practice of their choice.”

“This pilot will mean patients taking part can access the high quality care they deserve in a place and at a time that suits them. That’s why I believe patients should have the freedom to choose a GP practice that suits their lives, and not be restricted by geographical boundaries.”

TO READ MORE PLEASE VISIT...

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DESIGN & BUILD

www.healthbusinessuk.net/n/032

Integrated health and social care centre in Chester gets the go-ahead A new healthy-living centre in Chester, which incorporates GP practices, social care facilities and residential apartments has been granted planning permission.

The £30m, 12,000m2 development comprises three buildings accommodating a health centre, social care facilities and 42 residential apartments.

The first building is a 7,000m2 health centre for four GP practices from the West Cheshire Health Consortium, Community Services, and associated facilities. This development will enable better integration

of health services for patients in Chester.

The health facility links to a second building with 3,000m2 of offices and accommodation for the local authority’s health-facing services including adult social care, an independent living centre and public health. This physical link will support the integration of services across both health and social care.

A third building completes the city block providing 42 residential apartments.

The scheme, known as Gorse Stacks, has been designed by Nightingale Associates and is due for completion by the end of 2013.

Mild Christmas weather cuts NHS Direct calls NHS Direct saw a drop in the number of people using its telephone and online services over the festive period.

From 19 December 2011 to 2 January 2012, there were more than 730,000 contacts to NHS Direct’s advice and help services. The figure represents a 100,000 drop in total contacts in comparison to last year. The service said the five per cent decline in telephone contacts may be explained by the severe weather in the 2010-11 Christmas and New Year period, which contributed to call volumes.

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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NHS MODERNISATION

ADMINISTRATION

Government accepts NHS Future Forum proposals The government has accepted the latest recommendations from the independent NHS Future Forum, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has announced.

The NHS Future Forum was asked to carry out conversations with health and care professionals, patients and service users and to provide independent advice on education and training, information, integrated care, and the NHS’s role in the public’s health.

Following the NHS Future Forum report, the government has accepted all recommendations. This includes agreeing to give employers and professionals a greater say in developing the health workforce in the future, through local plans. For the first time the government will introduce an outcomes framework for education and training.

The government accepts the need to orientate the whole health system around patients and will therefore be including patient experiences as part of the Outcomes Framework.

Following the Forum’s recommendation on

News

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‘every contact counts’, the government will consult on a new responsibility for healthcare professionals to promote healthy living through their daily contact with patients.

The government will also consider the Forum’s recommendation for discharge summaries being made available to GPs and patients at the point of discharge, as part of the Information Strategy published later this year.

Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said: “As we modernise the health and care system to meet the challenges of the future, it is essential the thoughts of clinicians and, importantly, patients, are listened to. So the NHS Future Forum has again provided invaluable feedback on what the NHS needs to do to improve results and put the NHS truly on the side of patients. I’m pleased to accept all its recommendations.”

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Nurses to be freed from paperwork Prime Minister David Cameron has announced plans to free up nurses’ time by reducing the amount of paperwork that stops them caring for patients. This will allow nurses to improve routine checks to make sure patients are receiving the best care.

Cameron said: “Nursing needs to be about patients not paperwork. So we are going to get rid of a whole load of bureaucracy that stops nurses from doing what they do best. And in return patients should expect nurses to undertake regular nursing rounds – systematically and routinely checking that each of their patients is comfortable, properly fed and hydrated, and treated with the dignity and respect they deserve.”

EDUCATION & TRAINING

DH unveils new approach to health worker training The Department of Health has published a policy framework explaining its new approach to educating and training healthcare staff, as well as workforce planning.

It puts employers and professionals in the driving seat and gives them the national support they need to identify and anticipate the key workforce challenges, and to be flexible and responsive in planning and developing their workforce.

The new system will have two

NEWS IN BRIEF

central planks – Health Education England (HEE) and the Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs).

HEE will provide national leadership and oversight on strategic planning and development of the health and public health workforce, and allocate education and training resources. It will promote high quality education and training that is responsive to the changing needs of patients and local communities.

The LETBs will be the vehicle for providers and professionals to work with HEE to

Patients and staff views on NHS services to be published NHS organisations will be formally required to publish new data on performance and patient and staff views on their service, as part of a new government drive to improve quality in the health service. The new initiative includes the creation of new indicators within national patient surveys based on patient experience and whether they would want a family or friend treated at that hospital. Staff members will also rate their hospital’s service.

The government is planning to publish the results of the survey which will be used by regulators as a key indicator of quality. NHS organisations will also be required to publish results of new patient-led inspections which will consider cleanliness, food, privacy and dignity. If an organisation is found to be lacking in any area, they will be required to state how the intend to rectify this.

improve the quality of education and training outcomes so that they meet the needs of service providers, patients and the public.

The Department for Health will set the education and training outcomes for the system as a whole, securing the resources necessary and continuing to set the regulatory, policy and legal framework.

It will hold the HEE Board to account for delivery of its strategic objectives.

This new approach builds on responses to earlier public consultations and the recent advice from the NHS Future Forum.

Doncaster slashes clinical correspondence time An integrated digital dictation and electronic delivery system has helped Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust to half the average time for providing clinical correspondence to GPs. The new integrated system automatically matches digitally dictated clinical notes with PAS patient details to produce clinic attendance letters at the touch of a button. As a result, the average time taken to deliver clinical correspondence to GPs has been slashed from eight to four days.

“Nearly a third are being delivered within the 24 hour target we set ourselves and we are confident we can improve on this over the coming months,” said Julie Ekins, service improvement manager at the Trust. The Trust’s clinical correspondence system from Medisec was integrated with Talking Point Digital Dictation to provide the solution.

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

09

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CARBON REDUCTION

CREATING A PLANET-FRIENDLY HEALTH SERVICE

The NHS generates a massive 21 million tonnes of carbon per year and is faced with challenging reduction targets. Thankfully there are many shining examples of NHS Trusts that are committed to the carbon cause, as this article highlights The NHS in England is one of the largest employers in the world. It is a major buyer of goods and services from local, national and international economies and is the largest public sector contributor to climate change in Europe. It has a carbon footprint of 21 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2e), broken down to building energy (24 per cent), travel (17 per cent) and procurement (59 per cent).

The Sustainable Development Unit (SDU), formed in 2008, aims to help the NHS fulfil its potential as a leading sustainable and low carbon healthcare service. It acts as a source of leadership, expertise and guidance concerning sustainable development to all NHS organisations in England. This article highlights the NHS organisations that are showing initiative in embracing more sustainable practice in areas such as leadership, procurement, travel and waste.

FOOD WASTE The NHS in England spends around £500 million on food and serves 300 million meals every year.

The food waste can either be sent to landfill, which is expensive, or it can be macerated which involves

chopping it up and flushing it down the drain.

Maceration is bad for the environment and is facing increasing regulation because of the high carbon and biological oxygen demand present in the liquefied food.

Treating the macerated food is costly since it wastes a large amount of water and causes blockages from the fat.

To help save money, improve sustainability and to meet future legislation Stockport NHS Foundation Trust replaced its food macerators with two food waste digesters.

The Trust’s onsite food waste digester uses a bio-enzymatic formula. It turns food waste into grey water, which then passes through the system’s filter and into the drains, with no harmful effect on the environment. Each unit can digest 180kgs of waste per day, and due to its chemical reaction, eliminates fats, oils and greases which can block drains and be expensive to clear up.

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust carried out an audit and discovered it disposed of 2.6 tonnes

Energy

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Food waste digesters save energy at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust

of food a week. Each digester can deal with 1.4 tonnes of material per week and the whole process is ‘low odour’.

SAVINGS The cost of running the Trust’s three macerators is around £22,000 a year.

The running and maintenance cost for the digesters is expected to be around £2,200. This means that over five years, the hospital is projected to make savings of more than £96,000, with payback period on both machines around 12 months.

Buying the digesters will therefore save the Trust money, make a positive environmental commitment, and will comply with legislation should there be a ban on disposing food waste down the drain.

David Moss, deputy director of estates at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The national guidance for Healthcare Waste water guidelines issued in April 2011 indicates it may no longer be acceptable to put food waste to drain without consent so the Trust knew action was necessary.

Installing the digesters means we avoid blocking drains with fat and food waste and also avoid expensive repairs to macerators caused by cutlery jamming up the motors.”

Moss believes the main challenge was achieving the buy-in of all the kitchen staff: “Prior to the digester, staff scraped all the food off plates and straight into the macerator. E

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 12.1

Spirax EasiHeat systems help St George’s save £45K St George’s Hospital in Tooting is saving £45,000 per year by upgrading the heating and hot water systems in one of its plant rooms to Spirax EasiHeat™ plate heat exchanger packages.

Heating was previously provided by three shell-andtube calorifiers, while four more calorifiers provided hot water. Five EasiHeat systems now serve the Lanesborough wing of the 1,000-bed hospital.

Three provide heating and two deliver domestic hot water in a duty/standby arrangement.

The subsequent £45,000 savings are a combination of improved energy efficiency and reduced maintenance.

EasiHeat systems use compact steam-to-hot-water plate heat exchangers (PHEs) to deliver heating and hot water on demand. This eliminates the energy losses from hot water stored in calorifiers. In addition, the EasiHeat plate heat exchangers include a second pass condensate cooler,

14/12/2011 11:07

which helps to condense the steam and encourage more efficient heat transfer.

The EasiHeats have also simplified other aspects of the hospital’s maintenance programme. “Everything is integrated into the EasiHeat systems so we can let Spirax Sarco handle all the planned maintenance,” said a member of the maintenance team at St George’s Hospital.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Eve Fullwood Tel: 01242 535319 uk.enquiries@uk.spiraxsarco.com www.spiraxsarco.com/uk

CARBON REDUCTION E They now have to scrape the food into buckets and then carry them over to the digesters, which inevitably means more handling than using the macerator. The challenge was getting the staff to understand the bigger picture and positive environmental and cost benefits from their actions.”

A GOOD CORPORATE CITIZEN Demonstrating leadership in overall carbon management, Sussex Community NHS Trust (SCT) has undertaken a range of energyefficiency measures to become one of the best ‘Good Corporate Citizens’ in the NHS. The Trust was newly formed in 2010. It employs 4,000 staff across 77 properties, covering an area of 800 square miles. It has a £190 million turnover and delivers 9,500 patient interventions per day.

In 2010 the Trust’s Board approved a five year Sustainable Development Management Plan (SDMP), with the aim of achieving an ‘excellent’ classification in the Good Corporate Citizenship (GCC) assessment tool.

In order to achieve this, by 2015 the Trust has put in place targets to achieve a 25 per cent reduction in carbon footprint, 25 per cent improvement in energy efficiency, sending zero waste to landfill, and achieving average scores of ‘excellent’ in each of the GCC themes.

SCT took systematic steps to measure and improve the sustainability of its activities. A comprehensive carbon footprint and carbon management plan was developed and the GCC framework was used to develop the Trust’s. A number of qualitative and quantitative key performance indicators (KPIs) were agreed and progress reports submitted to the Trust’s Board every six months.

A cross-departmental steering group was established and actions were identified to reduce impacts and improve the GCC scores.

AREAS OF ACTION To reduce the carbon impact of its building, a ‘spend-to-save’ programme was established, focusing on investing in low-carbon technologies, such as boiler plant, LED lighting, and voltage optimisation. An inhouse cost model and Marginal Abatement Cost Curve MACC tool was developed to help construct the business case.

For greener facilities, SCT worked in partnership with waste contractor Biffa to implement a mixed recycling scheme, installing high efficiency hand dryers to cut paper towel costs and waste.

A new brand and communications and awareness programme called ‘Do your bit for our CO2mmunity’ was created to get the workforce on-board with the Trust’s objectives, as well as a network of Carbon Champions recruited to bring about change.

To improve procurement, SCT established an Ethical Procurement Policy and a collaborative Supply Chain Emissions Project to quantify and reduce impacts with key suppliers.

The Trust also developed a robust Green Travel Plan and worked with Civitas to embed a healthy workforce agenda within the Trust.

CHALLENGES The fact that the Trust was newly formed and undergoing structural change made the implementation of a new programme challenging. Being a diverse and dispersed organisation with a complex estate portfolio added a further hurdle. What’s more, making a case for investment in low-carbon technology during a time of increasingly restricted resources proved challenging.

The Trust felt it was important that its outputs and processes were robust and stood up to scrutiny, so took the step of asking climate change consultancy AEA Technology plc to provide external verification of these outputs. This was completed in September 2011. In recognition of its successes the Trust won the Health Service Journal Good Corporate Citizenship Award 2011.

CARBON AND FINANCIAL SAVINGS In the first 18 months the programme has already reduced the Trust’s carbon footprint by more than a 1,000 tonnes CO2 and improved its energy efficiency by over 30 per cent. The measures have also boosted the recycling rate to 60 per cent and reduced fleet vehicle emissions by 23 per cent.

Overall, this has saved the Trust £135,000.

A number of additional key factors made the programme a success.

These included having a credible and robust plan and a senior officer to deliver it, getting genuine buy-in and commitment from the Trust Board, and being able to demonstrate the value of the programme quickly.

Nigel Burchett, director of estates and facilities, Sussex Community NHS Trust, said: “Our aim is to deliver the best possible patient care in ways that contribute to the sustainability of the communities and places that we serve. We have a responsibility to use our resources and influence to support the health and wellbeing of our local communities, whilst minimising the financial and environmental costs.”

REDUCING THE NEED TO TRAVEL With many Trusts spread over different areas, travelling to and from different sites to visit patients and attend meetings is often necessary, resulting in high transport carbon emissions.

One example of a widespread NHS organisation that is cutting down its need to travel is NHS Derbyshire Community Health Services NHS Trust. It employs more than 5,000 staff and is one of the largest provider organisations in the country running more than 10 community hospitals and offering a range of services including health visiting and treatment centres.

As the Trust covers a large area, including

Energy

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In the first 18 months the programme has already reduced its carbon footprint by more than a 1,000 tonnes CO2 and improved its energy efficiency by over 30 per cent. the Dales, staff have to travel long distances when visiting patients in their homes as well as going to regular meetings in different parts of the organisation. Collectively they travel around five million miles a year. This costs a significant amount of money in expenses and also wastes employee travel time and associated carbon emissions.

To combat this problem, the Trust adopted teleconferencing as an alternative to faceto-face meetings. During the first year staff organised 1,200 teleconference calls with 4,700 people taking part. The Trust calculated that this saved more than 3,000 hours of staff travel time and around 20 tonnes of carbon. It also saved the Trust more than £100,000. The Trust’s audio conferencing service only requires a fixed or mobile phone line and up to 40 people can take part. No prior booking is needed and the service is available 24-7. The Trust has also found that teleconferences last around 35 minutes on average, meaning they are often shorter and more focused than face-to-face meetings.

Alvaro Pancisi, head of information management and technology strategy, NHS Derbyshire, says the new way of working improves productivity, saves money, helps provide better patient care and is better for the environment. It is also helping the Trust become financially, socially and environmentally sustainable for the future.

He said: “There was no financial outlay, we only pay when we use the service, and the benefits in terms of efficiency and travel savings are well evidenced. It also demonstrated its flexibility during the heavy snowfalls in December 2010 when travel was made especially difficult.”

These examples reveal how NHS Trusts are taking climate change seriously and implementing measures which not only cut emissions, but also save money on associated energy costs.

For further evidence of the health service’s work to improve its sustainability, visit the Sustainable Development Unit’s website for case studies and information. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.sdu.nhs.uk

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Harmful Bacteria Cause Serious Illness

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SPECIALIST CLEANING AND FACILITY SUPPORT SERVICES

Elite Cleaning & Environmental Services Ltd is a quality-focused independent provider of cleaning and associated facility services.

Our organisation is formally accredited to the international standards ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001. Cleaning and associated facility services are currently rolled-out across some 50+ medical centre and NHS primary healthcare facilities nationwide. Elite’s proven track record within this sector benefits from - PEAT compliant quality monitoring procedures - infection control training - CRB certification & safeguarding training; enhancing levels of service delivery clients receive.

Call us now on 0161 860 6750 or visit www.eces.co.uk Daily Cleaning

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 12.1

Specialist Deep Cleaning

Sanitary & Washroom Services

Window Cleaning

INFECTION CONTROL

MAINTAINING A CLEAN REGIME

Early in the parliament, health secretary Andrew Lansley announced that the NHS would need to make £20bn of efficiency savings in England by 2015, adding a promise to voters that these savings would not cause the NHS to limit the services it provides.

Instead, he claimed, the money would be saved through reducing bureaucracy, ending waste and adopting innovative ways of working and restructuring services. The key question for the cleaning industry is how much of an effect will these changes have on cleaning budgets, and will this mean that ward hygiene and patient safety is put at risk?

DRIVING DOWN INFECTION In the past few years, cleaning has played a increasingly prominent role in patient safety, operating on the frontline in the battle against hospital acquired infections (HAIs) during the previous Labour government’s £50m deep clean in 2008, and benefitting from the extra resources which were dedicated to drive down infection rates further in the years ahead.

The additional investment in cleaning has undoubtedly driven down HAI rates; figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed that in 2009 MRSA infection rates fell by 35 per cent, with C.diff falling by 29 per cent.

Then, in 2010, the number of deaths involving superbugs dropped again in England and Wales, with the mentions of C.diff on death certificates down by 31 per cent to 2,704.

In a period of transition for the NHS, the next set of data on HAI rates will be interesting. But across the country, there are worrying signs that the progress on this issue may stall as budgets tighten.

Earlier this year, the Daily Mirror reported that the NHS is spending £134million less than the minimum required to ensure that wards are kept clear of the MRSA and Clostridium difficile superbugs.

And up in Scotland, the Labour party has claimed that over 100 cleaning posts have been lost in hospitals during 2011, despite a promise from Scottish National Party (SNP) health secretary Nicola Sturgeon that they would recruit an extra 600 cleaners in the same period. The figures, acquired after a freedom of information request was submitted six months after the SNP pledge, were disputed by some health authorities, although the SNP has not yet produced any evidence to decisively counter the claim.

Meanwhile, away from the hospital wards, back office staff are also feeling the cuts bite.

In Wales, early November 2011 saw media reports that Cardiff and Vale University Health Board told their staff to start cleaning their own offices in an attempt to save money, as offices within the board area are no longer cleaned daily, with bins emptied just once a week as part of the cost-saving measures.

The health board justified the change by stating that all cleaning services spending should be concentrated on clinical and patient areas across Cardiff and Vale. But it is a clear indication of how much they value cleaning when they have stopped offering a professional service in the staff workplace.

MANAGING AUSTERITY But what is the view from those with a close working relationship with the NHS? Andrew Large, chief executive of the Cleaning and

Written by the British Cleaning Council

Delivering £20bn of efficiency savings was always going to challenge the NHS. But will cut backs affect the cleaning industry, and will ward hygiene and patient safety be put at risk?

Support Services Association (CSSA), says that his member’s experience of working with the NHS under the coalition in the age of austerity has been relatively good: “CSSA members would strongly resist the suggestion that austerity should mean less hospital cleaning. High levels of cleaning pay for themselves through reduced incidence of healthcare associated infections.

As it stands, the figures published by the Health Protection Agency show a steady decline in the level of both MRSA and C Diff infections in hospitals. The CSSA is monitoring those figures closely and if there is any evidence of cuts putting in jeopardy the progress that has been made then we will intervene.”

Large concedes that the level of service provided in the non-clinical, ‘low risk’ areas has come under review and, and, in some instances, service levels have been reduced: “In an office for example, maybe the bins won’t be emptied every night, they will be emptied once a week. However, patient safety must always be maintained. It makes sense to manage cleaning on the basis of a scientific risk assessment, but the fact is that patients, medical staff, visitors and office workers all have expectations about the cleanliness of their immediate environment and these expectations need to be met or complaints begin to flood in.”

Large concludes that in an era of reducing bureaucracy, ending waste and adopting innovative working practices for the NHS, outsourcing is the best way to manage costs and overtly demonstrate best value: “It’s often forgotten that it’s still only about a third of cleaning services that are contracted out in the NHS. If the NHS is serious about improving the value it gets from public expenditure, it is going to have to grasp that nettle and engage the private sector in a much bigger way.”

The true effect of the government’s efficiencies will only be known when the HAI statistics for 2011 are released by the Office for National Statistics in august 2012. While judgement should be reserved until then, it is a matter of grave importance for the patients being treated in Britain’s hospitals that safer and cleaner wards remain a sacred goal.

Cleaning

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.britishcleaningcouncil.org

Cleaning machinery without breaking the bank Sharpe Maintenance Services Ltd (SMS) supplies, services and repairs cleaning machinery to a high standard. Its team of trained engineers conduct repairs quickly and efficiently, minimising downtime, increasing productivity and ultimately saving customer’s money – all critical objectives for any business, especially within the health sector.

SMS’ services include sales, repair and

refurbishment by qualified engineers plus long and short term hire. All work carried out is inspected and electrically tested to IEE code of practice standards by fully trained technicians with many years’ experience across a broad spectrum of machinery.

Free Portable Appliance Testing of chargers is included with every repair and planned maintenance schedules can help to reduce breakdowns between visits. SMS is a dealership for the Nilfisk, Factory Cat and

Fimap ranges of cleaning equipment, but is also experienced in most industrial cleaning machinery brands such as Tennant, Applied, DTE, Numatic, Wetrok and Karcher to name but a few. SMS can also offer low cost refresher training by SMS BICSc accredited trainers, helping to reduce accidental damage costs.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0116 254 6049 sms@sharpemaintenance.co.uk www.sharpemaintenance.co.uk

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Phoenix Private Ambulance Service Ltd

ABACUS AMBULANCE SERVICE

Specialised Passenger Transport

07973 155259

Based in Warwickshire we provide a uniformed and specialised private ambulance service to meet the needs of those with impaired mobility for whom safe and comfortable travel is difficult. This includes stretcher and wheelchair passengers.

For example: n Transfers to and from hospital outpatient appointments n Transfers to or discharges from hospitals n Moves to and from care, retirement or nursing homes n Local and long distance disabled and patient transport nationwide Our CRB checked team pride themselves on providing a careful, understanding, prompt and comfortable service and we have gained a reputation for providing consistently high standards.

We are registered with the Care Quality Commission, our vehicles are regularly inspected and are maintained to a high standard. Our stretchers and lock systems are tested to meet BS EN 1789:2000 standards and wheelchair restraints conform to the dynamic test requirements of ISO 10542.

Our fleet is based in Leamington Spa and although most of our work is centred around the Midlands we are able to provide transport anywhere in the UK.

For more information go to www.phoenix-ambulance.co.uk or call 01788 816192.

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Abacus Ambulance Service are an established company supplying ambulances to both the NHS and Private Sector hospitals across the south east, London,Kent and Essex. In our 10 years of trading we have established a strong workbase with our clients including London Ambulance Service and reputable insurance companies. We also provide First Aid cover for Marie Curie, Leukaemia Research and other local charities.

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Our Ambulance teams include registered nurses, paramedics, EMTs and ambulance care attendants, we have a solution for everyone everywhere and at very competitive prices.

n Range of patient transport services (PTS) n High dependency transport solutions n A&E services and critical care transfer services n Training solutions At Blue Star Medical Services we can assure all our clients that the care you will receive will be delivered by qualified professionals to IHCD national standards or above. We are CQC registered and have experience in all fields of operation all over the UK.

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 12.1

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INDEPENDENT AMBULANCES

GETTING PATIENTS FROM A TO B Health Business chats to David Davis from the newly formed Independent Ambulance Association about the patient transport challenges facing the NHS and private sector, now and in the future Today’s healthcare landscape is in the greatest period of transition since the NHS was established nearly 60 years ago. Virtually every aspect is being put under the microscope, socially, economically and politically, and legislators are making policy decisions which are having irrevocable impact on the future of the independent ambulance industry.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has brought the industry under regulation for the first time, setting minimal quality standards of patient transport services. At the same time the new Health & Social Care Bill currently passing into law will change the rules for business procurement, creating opportunities for the private ambulance industry.

Against this backdrop, the Independent Ambulance Association (IAA) was established to give a strong voice to the independent ambulance sector on changing policy matters.

PROCUREMENT DECISIONS Given today’s tough financial climate, what criteria should NHS managers consider when awarding private transport contracts to new suppliers? “The most compelling answer to this question is value for money,” says David Davis, the IAA’s director of communications. ”But in today’s tough economic climate, the easy option is for NHS managers to make their decision based on price alone and go for the lowest tender.

“That said, NHS decision makers also have a special responsibility not only to protect the interests of patients but to ensure that the taxpayers’ funds are being spent well.”

And this is by no means an easy or enviable task, argues Davis. “At the present time, healthcare providers only have the CQC quality benchmark to base their service provision on.”

The CQC benchmark explains the rights of patients, including how they should be informed at every stage of their care and the right to receive care that meets their needs, provided by qualified staff.

“There is no perfect, scientific method in awarding contracts, particularly in such sensitive services such as patient transport,” continues Davis. “NHS managers rely heavily on reviewing tick box answers on electronic forms and scoring against predetermined weightings. This might be the quickest and most mathematically accurate route to a final decision but one wonders if they should

also take into account the professional reputation and integrity of the company and the commitment and training of the staff that will actually be caring for the patients.”

POTENTIAL PITFALLS So what are the problems that could arise when NHS budget managers procure independent ambulance services? “Many problems arise from putting out to tender a badly constructed contract,” explains Davis. ”Such a contract would contain inadequate information and would set unrealistic demands on service delivery targets, as well as fail to recognise the financial value of the operational skills, managerial resources and qualified people required to deliver an efficient, cost-effective patient transport service. A lack of understanding of the fleet and communication technology requirements also make for a potentially flawed contract.

“Falling into any one of these traps will create problems from the outset and could result in a breakdown of trust and confidence between the provider and the hospital staff.”

OUTSOURCING SERVICES Many hospital trusts recognised several years ago that they could save money and get better service from independent transport providers by putting their needs out to competitive contract instead of relying solely

and find the pressure upon their resources is eased, while patients enjoy a better service.

Patient Transport

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

DIVERSE OPERATIONS What type of transporting operation is most appropriate to be outsourced to the private sector? “The simple answer is most,” says Davis. “As a whole, the independent industry is well resourced with qualified ambulance crews and fully-equipped vehicles and aircraft to take on the majority of non-clinical transport operations.

“In any single year, private ambulances undertake millions of journeys, including taking patients to and from home for pre-arranged hospital visits, between hospitals to undergo special treatment, helping A&E with assignments, providing first aid ambulance cover, and repatriating patients from around the world.”

That said, there is a changing perception of what an independent healthcare provider can do. While the work traditionally put out to tender has been non-urgent patient transport there are already a number of organisations that provide higher clinical-need transport.

Davis explains: “Many companies operate vehicles which have been specially built to transport patients weighing 30st or more and others run ambulances designed and equipped as mobile intensive care units for critically ill babies and children up to the age of 16.”

FUTURE CHALLENGES “The next 12 months could see a turning point in the relationship between the public and independent sectors,” says Davis. “This is prompted by the recognition from both sides that neither can alone meet all the nation’s surging demands for patient transport services.

“The challenge will be to find the common ground on which both sides can feel comfortable and protected and the IAA has set such a relationship as its prime objective.

Davis concludes: “The challenge for the

Many hospital trusts recognised several years ago that they could save money and get better service from independent transport providers by putting their needs out to competitive contract instead of relying solely on a regional NHS ambulance service. on a regional NHS ambulance service. Davis explains: “Nowadays awarding independent providers contracts after a public tender process or calling them in on an ad-hoc basis has largely become the norm. This is because NHS ambulance services are finding it increasingly difficult to consistently meet the demands on the emergency services.”

Using independent ambulance providers is a win-win situation for both ambulance trusts and patients, finds Davis: “Trusts save money

public ambulance service is to look ahead to a future where it can survive and thrive in a professional working relationship with independent colleagues. For the independents the biggest challenge is to win greater political and public acceptance to take its rightful place at the policy decision making table.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.iaauk.org david.davis@iaauk.org

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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LATERAL THINKING IN PATIENT TRANSPORT

Patient Transport

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Lateral launches the OmniWAV Multi-Role Transfer Vehicle for Versatile and cost effective patient transportation at the Emergency Services Show 2011 Positioned between an array of imposing fourtonne ambulances and towering fire machines at this November’s Emergency Services Show was Lateral Design Concepts’ answer to the need for a lighter, greener, more efficient way of delivering patient transportation.

OmniWAV is a compact but allencompassing transfer solution, capable of tackling a wide range of ambulance applications. It offers accommodation for the three core patient/attendant-bearing devices (seats, wheelchairs and/or a stretcher) in a smaller, more economical unit than traditional PTS ambulances.

CONFIGURATION Thanks to the wide range of configuration modes offered by its interior, OmniWAV provides new levels of multi-role capability from cheaper to run, easier to manoeuvre base vehicles. Built upon the shared Citroen Dispatch/Peugeot Expert/Fiat Scudo ‘Maxi L2H2’ platform, OmniWAV’s adaptable interior can be configured to carry a driver plus five seated passengers, two wheelchairs, or a stretcher with attendants. Numerous roles identified for the vehicle, developed with valuable input from Nottinghamshirebased private ambulance service First4Care, include renal, outpatient discharge and repatriation. Clients have also cited the vehicle as having potential for the replacement of RRVs, standard size HDUs, and even as the basis for single clinician ‘Tier’ vehicles.

The Yorkshire based company’s Business Development Manager, Richard Yates, comments: “Whilst highly recognised amongst UK and European distributors in Mobility markets as the leading manufacturer of wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs), Lateral has more quietly grown to also become one of the key suppliers to the ambulance industry. This has largely been due to the manner in which our patented Wedge Cassette Ramp (WCR), Integra, Omniramp and Hydra-kneel lowering suspension products have historically been distributed through a small number of converters.

“Since 2001 Lateral has produced more than 3,000 Wedges, 2,000 Doblo WAV kits, 1,200 in-house Sedona conversion and around 200 lowering suspension systems.

Many thousands more Lateral WAV kits for a wide range of vehicles have also been dispatched around the UK, Europe and East Asia. We have an established after sales service with national mobile fleet engineers,

and the ability to rapidly dispatch ‘Loan-bank’ Wedge cassettes to ambulance bases across the UK within 24-hours of requirement.

“Through numerous discussions with ambulance operators, and with particular reference to patient choice, journey times, congestion zone charging, driver licencing issues, environmental responsibility, and the holistic necessity to reduce operating costs in times of increasing fuel prices and road taxation, the demand for an alternative to 3.5 tonne vehicles for passenger movement became increasingly apparent.

“All too often larger, more expensive conventional PTS vehicles can be seen with only one or two passengers aboard, unable to make use of their greater size due to journey time restrictions. OmniWAV harnesses Lateral’s precision engineering excellence from both of our WAV and ‘ax-s’ ambulance access product lines, to produce a compact, affordable conversion with unique

specifically for the Emergency Services, offers a level of information and control never seen before. Base vehicle information (via CAN), role equipment, vehicle usage and driver profiles are all available to be viewed ‘live’ using the system’s web -based software, or by accessing a wide range of easily interpreted data reports.

Information may be communicated to users quickly by email or even SMS. EQUIPMENT Fitted with the latest equipment from Lateral’s ax-s product line, OmniWAV features the company’s all-new manual fold-up side step. Using simple, well-resolved mechanics, and requiring no electrics, the lightweight step automatically deploys with the action of opening and closing the side sliding-door. For ease of stretcher and wheelchair loading, an ax-s Winch-Assist is installed. This device, available with

In harmonisation with the cost saving credentials of the OmniWAV concept, the vehicle is fitted with Ortus Technology’s ‘Datapoint’ telemetric system, which gives operators the ability to monitor and view how the vehicle is being utilised. versatility. Our customers repeatedly tell us this vehicle really is the future for PTS.” Lateral’s demonstration vehicle, as exhibited at ESS, is fitted with an array of state-of-theart electrical systems. Carnation GENISYS controls ambulance functions via illuminated keypads to the cab and saloon. Vehicle power supply is maintained by an auxiliary battery with split charging, the saloon offering 12V and 230V inverter supplies. Exterior warning equipment by Woodway includes low consumption, latest generation LED lighting and an oil-cooled siren driver.

TECHNOLOGY In harmonisation with the cost saving credentials of the OmniWAV concept, the vehicle is fitted with Ortus Technology’s ‘Datapoint’ telemetric system, which gives operators the ability to monitor and view how the vehicle is being utilised. This highly accurate system (50cm worldwide), designed

wheelchair and stretcher SWLs, incorporates a clutch system for rapid deployment.

Alongside OmniWAV and one of the company’s Type Approved New Doblo WAVs, Lateral also unveiled the next generation MKII Ducato/Boxer/Relay Wedge Cassette Ramp. MKII features an encapsulated, quickly removable drive module, which seals critical mechanics away from possible sources of water ingress related to crash damaged shells.

MKII Wedges also benefit from hard foam filled shells and impact absorbing ‘nudge bars’.

Demand for OmniWAV exceeded even Lateral’s expectations at ESS. The new vehicle will be touring the UK for ambulance operators to trial and specify to their individual requirements. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.lateraldc.co.uk ry@latdescon.co.uk Tel: 01535 662244

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Protecting Lives and Property Worldwide ...for a Lifetime

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BIOMETRICS

Security

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

PROVING WHO YOU SAY YOU ARE

Today, people spend so much time with their computers and favourite websites that we naturally assume that passwords are the only way to protect computers and applications. We all have passwords – in fact, some estimates suggest that each person has over a dozen of them.

In the healthcare industry, passwords can actually be a problem. Fundamentally, passwords are insecure. There’s a variety of reasons for this. Firstly, anyone who can guess (or see) your password can log in as you and gain access to materials that only you are supposed to have access to. In healthcare, this is an obvious problem, especially in terms of privacy. Secondly, for passwords to be secure, they need to be at least seven or eight characters long, preferably longer, and incorporate a variety of characters, which makes them hard to remember.

When passwords are hard to remember, the help desk receives a lot of calls, driving up costs. And in the healthcare environment, especially in a hospital, there is no good time to forget a password.

for medical environments. In essence, the system relies on the comparison of freshly captured biometric identifiers with those stored by the hospital. The accuracy, efficiency and non-intrusiveness of the system are essential criteria for its success – especially the protection of patient privacy and the confidentiality of medical records.

The first advantage is simple, you cannot forget your own biometric data. Wherever you go, you have your biometrics with you, and this simple fact actually reduces costs, since there are no calls to the help desk. Costs for password resets are actually much higher than many people realise, with estimates ranging from $30 to $70 per year per person.

Written by David Storch, executive consultant, Identity, Security & Risk Management, Atos

What are the benefits of using biometric access-control over a password-based system one in healthcare settings? David Storch investigates

FAIL-PROOF Despite what you may see in Mission Impossible biometrics are for all practical purposes impossible to copy. This means that when someone logs in using a biometric application, they really are the person they claim to be (and not an unauthorised user logging in with a E

IDEAL FOR HEALTHCARE SETTINGS For these reasons, many hospitals and other medical institutions are turning to biometric applications instead of passwords.

Biometrics have a number of qualities that make them ideal

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Reliance protect – a lone worker is never alone

Sharpfibre – fire protection services for the future

Reliance Protect is a fully managed lone worker solution designed for all workers potentially exposed to harassement, intimidation or violence in the course of their working day. Providing protection to over 40,000 individuals, Reliance Protect is the UK’s market leading BS8484 certified lone worker protection solution.

The service is delivered

by Reliance High-Tech, an established market leader in the provision of technology lead security solutions, from its BS 5879 Cat II accredited remote monitoring centre. With the single press of a button your lone workers will ‘no longer be alone’ and will be quickly connected to one of our specialist operators who manage and record incidents and provide swift and proportional escalation, including police involvement where required.

The NHS has a framework

Sharpfibre is a leading specialist fire protection contractor providing passive fire protection systems and life safety solutions throughout the UK and Europe.

Formed in 1987, the company is one of the longest established privately owned fire protection companies in its sector.

Operating from its head quarters in Basildon, and its offices in Swansea, Sharpfibre boasts a reputation for expertise in health and safety, service delivery and technical knowledge.

As a specialist contractor, Sharpfibre is approved or recommended installers for a wide range of leading fire protection product manufacturers. Working closely with its key supply chain partners, the company is able to offer clients systems the achieve up to four hours fire protection to steelwork, ductwork, service penetrations, compartmentation walls and floors along with other allied application such as air sealing, thermal insulation, acoustics and Durasteel range.

With its flexible approach

agreement in place with Reliance Protect which has been competitively tendered according to EU guidelines and includes pricing, service levels and quality standards. This framework is open to all NHS organisations and other publicly funded bodies to purchase from.

For more information on Reliance Protect or to arrange a complimentary lone worker review please contact us using the contact details below and quote ‘lone worker’.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 121 0802 christine.camilleri@ relitech.co.uk www.relianceprotect.com

and experience, Sharpfibre is able to offer its clients further solutions and services including the provision of thermal and fire rated soffit insulation, and the installation of Drylining, Ceilings and Spray Applied Render Systems.

Sharpfibre is a member of CHAS (Contractor Health and Safety Scheme) - an independently audited programme designed to bring best practice models to contractors and their procedures.

These procedures are monitored and scored internally and reviewed at monthly meetings to ensure all areas for improvement are acted upon and closed out. Sharpfibre is also a FIRAS registered contractor and a member of the Association of Specialist Fire Protection (ASFP).

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01268 413084 www.sharpfibre.com

Integrated Access Control

Robust, reliable and secure access control solutions for the healthcare sector, proven in applications worldwide

Monitoring and Management at your fingertips Define specific areas that staff, patients and visitors can access Seamless Integration Link with other systems – CCTV, intruder and fire alarms, light, heating and air conditioning controls MIFARE Smart Cards Use one card for multiple applications – access control, time and attendance, car parks, cashless vending t: +44 (0)1202 723535 e: sales@tdsi.co.uk w: www.tdsi.co.uk/healthcare 5435_Healthcare Ad_half page.indd 1

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 12.1

Save Energy Switch off lights and other facilities when rooms are empty

21/11/2011 20:35

BIOMETRICS

Security

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

E stolen password). This means greater privacy protection for patients and improved security for the healthcare professional.

Thirdly, biometrics are fast. In emergency situations, there is a clear benefit in health care providers using their fingerprints or other biometric identifiers rapidly to gain access to systems rather than to have to type (and perhaps retype) a long password. Also the advanced speed to switch from one user to another is a very important requirement in hospitals.

Lastly, unlike other ‘secure tokens’ such as smart cards or one-time password generators, biometrics cannot be lost. They are always with you, wherever you go. They cannot be forgotten, they cannot be misplaced.

CASE STUDY An example of these concepts can be seen in Luxembourg’s Centre Hospitalier du Nord (CHdN), who decided to move to biometrics to improve security. When the different health institutions of North Luxembourg were being merged and the hospital’s network expanded, Centre Hospitalier du Nord needed to improve its access security.

Various challenges were identified. Firstly, the solution had to allow a high level of security, linked to the physical identity of the user.

Secondly, new legal obligations regarding privacy of patient records required strict access control, especially governing multipleuser access to the same workstations.

Thirdly, access levels had to be defined in order to provide doctors, nursing and administrative personnel with different access rights. Finally, the solution had to guarantee high availability.

on the system ID Center in all units of the hospital. In the first phase, 300 ID mouse units were purchased and a stand-alone solution was installed.

This solution had its limitations, because only a restricted set of users had access to one machine. And in order to guarantee reliable system access, server based authentication had to be installed. So CHdN opted for a server-based solution that stores encrypted biometric profiles in a centralised high-security database; matching

Biometrics are fast. In emergency situations, there is a clear benefit in healthcare providers using their fingerprints or other biometric identifiers rapidly to gain access to systems rather than to have to type (and perhaps retype) a long password.

Password-based access was problematic and fundamentally insecure for some of the reasons cited already. CHdN turned to biometric identification based upon fingerprint recognition technologies. As almost everyone knows, fingerprints are unique – and because of this, they provide a high degree of security and confidentiality.

Unlike the situation with passwords, when authentication is done by a fingerprint, there is almost a 100 per cent guarantee that the person being authenticated is the duly authorised person and not an imposter.

GETTING STARTED The biometrics deployment started with every user registering two fingerprints

them with fingerprints scanned by the ID Mouse. When recognised and authorised, the user is granted appropriate access rights: both network access and access to applications via a Citrix-based system.

Because a hospital demands very high availability network access, this solution is hosted on clustered servers.

Additionally, biometric identification is applied to applications that require an electronic signature (for example, the issue of prescriptions). When logging in at another unit, users have immediate access to both their applications and the files they were working on previously.

“Privacy of biometric data was a major concern for our users but the features of

our ID Center solution prevent any abuse,” says Stephanie Heuschling, IT manager at CHdN. But because biometric profiles never contain images or insecure personal data, only encoded information, CHdN swiftly gained staff acceptance, having first communicated extensively about the new system before deployment.

“We faced very little resistance, especially as the request originated from the medical personnel,”adds Daniel Schartz, IT security manager responsible at CHdN. “The deployment was smooth and well accepted thanks to the significant ease-of-use benefits. In over five years since then we have had very few calls concerning login problems,” concluded Stephanie Heuschling.

BENEFITS Benefits can be summed up in three words: efficiency, cost and security. Biometric identification makes password administration easier and less costly, while the hierarchy of access rights according to user profiles provides patients with a guarantee of confidentiality. “The solution has transformed security – and mobility between different units throughout the hospital is really simple,” comments Daniel Schartz.

These benefits were critical in securing approval for the system from the Luxembourg Commission for Data Protection.

Active users have now increased threefold.

In fact, the system has also expanded beyond the walls of the hospital – to bring on board over 30 contract physicians who work at CHdN but have their own offices off-site.

Now that fingerprint technology has been agreed as CHdN’s sole authentication solution, all other programmes will now be adapted to use biometric authentication. L

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Security

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

ACCESS CONTROL

ACCESS - YOUR FLEXIBLE FRIEND Crawley & Horsham Hospital has explored new technological possibilities to increase security, choosing Nedap’s AEOS security management platform A hospital works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and security needs to be guaranteed for the access of different people that use the hospital (patients, doctors, nurses, visitors, etc). It is therefore very important to control lockdown - the process of controlling the movement and access of people around an NHS site in response to an identified risk, threat or hazard that might impact upon the capacity of that facility to operate. This is achieved through a combination of physical security measures and the deployment of security personnel.

Built in the 1960s, Crawley Hospital merged with Horsham Hospital in the early nineties to form the Crawley Horsham NHS Trust, one of the first Trusts to be established. Crawley and Horsham Trust then joined with East Surrey Healthcare NHS Trust in 1998, creating Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust.

In response to NHSLA requirements to undertake a risk profile of lockdown procedures, Nedap was invited to visit Crawley & Horsham as the hospitals’ security team wished to explore new technologies available to them to enable them to adhere to the new directives in an easier and more effective manner.

IMPLEMENTATION Enabling the hospital to follow the NHSLA lockdown directives was the main goal, but the security team were keen to explore their future options, so flexibility was sought that offered the ability to integrate new technologies and to offer centralised management with other areas of security.

Initially the scope was to secure all doors that covered the main access areas within the hospital. Due to the feature rich benefits of Nedap’s AEOS security management platform, the trust security team transferred total control of security management to AEOS.

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 12.1

The lockdown policy, access control, security management and CCTV is now centrally managed over the entire estate via the AEOS platform - a powerful and user-friendly, web-based security management system which is based on intelligent network technology.

AEOS combines and integrates real-time systems for access control, visitor management, intruder detection, locker management, parking management and (IP) video management.

are directly linked to each other within the same system, so searching is made simple.

By combining software ‘apps’ effective controller level integration solutions are made which are easier than server integration. There are currently almost 200 embedded software ‘apps’, which can be combined to make a huge variety of configurations possible, ranging from very simple to highly complex solutions.

The lockdown policy, access control, security management and CCTV is now centrally managed over the entire estate via the AEOS platform - a powerful and user-friendly, web-based security management system which is based on intelligent network technology.

THE POWERFUL SECURITY CONTROLLER The AEOS Security Controller, first to manage multiple disciplines on a single device, has its functionality set by configurable software ‘apps’ rather than being just another fixed device. The ability to remotely upload new ‘app’ software helps create a highly flexible system ready for future challenges and technology. For example – if you want a camera to only send images to the security centre when an invalid badge use is attempted at an entrance, this is easily configured within the AEOS Security Controller itself. Over the IP network the Security Controller directly activates a local camera and arranges for the images to be displayed on a security guard’s screen and stored at a designated storage location.

The security event and the camera image

The core software runs in a single server environment to which all the events relating to access control, IP video management and intruder security are channelled. Two server configurations are possible - all sites on one server, or on multiple autonomous AEOS servers, which are synchronised via an intermediate server. By using ‘trusted security’ solutions, including SSL and the Secure Access Module (SAM card), all communication between the card and server takes place under secure conditions.

ENABLING FULL CONTROL Access control goes much further than simply opening and closing doors - the system also offers flexible management of the users’ access rights. Biometric scanning devices can be used, and combinations with logical E

Security

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

About Nedap For more than eight decades, Nedap’s effective collaboration with customers and expertise in the fields of RFID and electronics enable it to offer end-users impressive solutions for secure and reliable identification. The company’s modern headquarters in Groenlo houses all activities under one roof, from R&D to production and marketing. This structure allows fast and adequate response to customer needs, and the company is well represented internationally by a network of business partners and local sales subsidiaries.

“Working with the Nedap team made the migration from legacy systems to AEOS a smooth transition and has benefitted in giving a far more secure and manageable system, with the knowledge that future policy changes and demands will be easily met, and better yet, improved upon.”

E access control and access control at micro level (AEOS locker management) are also possible.

With AEOS, all the security disciplines are clustered locally at controller level - whether it is presenting a pass, switching an intruder detection system on or off in response, or automatic activation of a video camera. Every event is recorded including a timestamp and can be configured to automatically trigger an alarm. All events and alarms can be viewed textually or in the Graphic Alarm Handler in AEOS. The complete AEOS user interface is web-based and set up in a particularly intuitive and task-focused way.

Rima Dutt, working on behalf of the hospital trust team stated: “Working with the Nedap team made the migration from legacy systems to AEOS a smooth transition and has benefitted in giving a far more secure and manageable system, with the knowledge that future policy changes and demands will be easily met, and better yet, improved upon.” L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.nedap-securitymanagement.com

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EFFICIENT IT

Healthcare IT

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

CONNECTED HEALTH – OPPORTUNITY STILL KNOCKS Accenture conducted an online survey of 3,727 physicians across eight countries, including Australia, Canada, England, France, Germany, Singapore, Spain and the US. Approximately 500 physicians per country (200 for Singapore) participated in the survey, which assessed doctors’ attitudes and perceptions on the benefits of health information and communications technology While the majority of doctors are convinced that ‘Connected Health’ brings benefits, a surprising amount are skeptical of the associated healthcare IT benefits. Research among more than 3,700 doctors in eight countries reveals ripe opportunities to accelerate a broad national Connected Health initiative, according to a new survey from Accenture.

The survey illuminates prevailing perceptions (based on demographics and geography) among doctors today over the future of Connected Health. While the survey illustrates similarities and differences in perceptions of healthcare IT, the findings clearly show that the broadest, fastest path to integrated, effective health practices requires outreach, education and changing mindsets among some doctors, especially those over 50 who are not actively using healthcare IT. Connected Health is an approach to healthcare delivery that leverages the systematic application of healthcare IT to facilitate the accessing and sharing of information, as well as subsequent analysis of health data across healthcare systems.

It is using knowledge and technology in new ways for more effective, efficient and affordable healthcare. The future of healthcare entails systems and infrastructures that enable information management, analysis and sharing – it is the engine of what Accenture calls Insight Driven Health.

Many doctors, however, remain unconvinced that healthcare technologies, such as electronic medical records (EMR) and health information exchanges (HIE), will improve patient outcomes, improve access to services or reduce unneeded procedures.

Interestingly, these are the benefits most often touted for widespread adoption of EMR and HIE and, therefore, this disconnect creates barriers to fully realising the benefits of a truly Connected Health ecosystem.

The survey is one part of a comprehensive Connected Health study to be published this year which incorporates results from this doctor survey as well as input from interviews with more than 150 industry experts, and 10 case studies of successful Connected Health implementations.

It was surprising that a high percentage

of doctors either did not know of or did not associate a positive impact on the use of EMR and HIE with some of the main selling points of a Connected Health system. Among the key findings almost half of doctors surveyed, 44 percent, are not convinced that healthcare IT will help reduce the number of unnecessary interventions and procedures.

Forty-three percent of doctors are not convinced that healthcare IT systems will result in increased speed of access to health services, and almost 40 percent are not convinced that the use of healthcare IT will bring improved outcomes for patients.

“The Accenture physician survey was designed to ask the question: ‘Are we making progress in Connected Health?’

And we now know that the answer is yes.

Doctors are beginning to see the benefits of using healthcare IT solutions to improve integration of care delivery,” said Rick Ratliff, global lead, Accenture Connected

Improved cross-organizational working processes (67.9 percent), and reduced medical errors (66 percent).

While some doctors do not yet see all the benefits – such as reducing unneeded procedures (43.6 percent reported either a negative impact, no impact or didn’t know), improving access to services (43 percent) or improving patient outcomes (39.2 percent) – those physicians who are routine users of healthcare IT rated the benefits more positively than their counterparts who are less actively involved with these technologies.

THE AGE DIVIDE There was a statistically significant contrast in attitudes among doctors over and under 50 years of age. The Accenture survey found that doctors under 50 are more likely to believe that healthcare IT has a positive impact across a wide range of perceived benefits, including improved health

Connected Health is an approach to healthcare delivery that leverages the systematic application of healthcare IT to facilitate the accessing and sharing of information, as well as subsequent analysis of health data across healthcare systems. It is using knowledge and technology in new ways for more effective, efficient and affordable healthcare.

Health Services. “The challenge is to encourage behavioral change across the healthcare system through education and ongoing communication, helping physicians to embrace greater use of healthcare IT to demonstrate the value of Connected Health.”

COUNTRY COMPARISON There was strong similarity, however, in how doctors across all eight countries perceive the top benefits of healthcare IT, including better access to quality data for clinical research (70.9 percent), better coordination of care across care settings and service boundaries (69.1 percent)

outcomes for patients, increased speed of access to health services and reductions in medical errors. More than 72 percent of doctors under 50 think EMR and HIE will improve care coordination across settings and service boundaries. And, 73 percent believe these technologies will offer better access to quality data for clinical research.

These numbers vary, however, for doctors over 50 – only 65 percent and 68 percent respectively perceive the same benefits.

The age disparity may have to do with the reluctance that older doctors have with using information technology during patient interactions. Many younger doctors may be accustomed to typing while talking to E

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EFFICIENT IT E a patient, whereas older doctors may prefer a conversation with a patient that does not introduce the unnatural element of technology.

FREQUENT USERS ‘BELIEVE’ The survey asked physicians about the extent to which they used 12 different ‘functions’ of EMR and HIE – such as electronic entry of patient notes, electronic referrals to or from other physicians, electronic ordering, electronic prescribing and communicating with other physicians or patients via secure email. The results showed that physicians who are routine users of a wider range of healthcare IT functions have a more positive attitude toward the benefits these technologies bring. The survey shows that, on average across all the countries, as physicians start to use more ‘functions’ – the more positive they are about the benefits.

BRIDGING THE DISCONNECT Despite all eight countries being at a relatively early stage of the Connected Health journey, there is evidence that doctors truly desire change. These findings clearly signal ways that governments and healthcare organizations can speed progress toward Connected Health. There is work ahead to fully convince physicians that healthcare IT will ensure better patient care, lower healthcare costs and make them more effective and efficient.

Building organisational development and change management capabilities are crucial steps for success to help convince the majority of doctors of the value of healthcare IT, and thus drive its progress. Strategic change management is among the six dynamics that must be fully executed for a country to realise the full benefits of Connected Health. The soon- to-be-released study will explore all six of these dynamics in detail.

Clinician involvement – especially among doctors – is also a central theme of those organizations and systems that are succeeding in the development of Connected Health. This is more than simple communication. It requires doctors’ active involvement in planning change and guiding its implementation with their peers and colleagues.

Change must be manageable. Where top- down, whole-system re-engineering has been attempted at a national level, there have been as many failures as successes. When policymakers and health leaders have identified achievable targets and tangible, medium-term outcomes, rapid progress is possible. L FOR MORE INFORMATION Accenture will release its comprehensive, eight-country Accenture Connected Health Study in 2012, including international research drawing on case studies, interviews with global health leaders and more details of this quantitative survey of doctors.

Healthcare IT

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

To what extent is the use of electronic medical records and health information exchange enabling the following benefits?

Figure 1: Total Survey Average - Top 10 EMR and HIE benefits Despite overall sentiments that healthcare IT brings about benefits, there is still need for a clearer business case for doctors who perceive a negative or no impact, or simply don’t know. The top ten impacts: positive, negative, no impact and don’t know Positive

Better access to quality data for clinical research

Negative No Impact

Improved coordination across care settings/service boundaries

Don’t Know Improved cross-organizational working process Reduction in medical errors Improved quality treatment decisions Improved diagnostic decisions Improved health outcomes for patients Increased speed of access to health services for patients Reduced numbers of unnecessary interventions/procedures Reduced risk of litigation 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Despite all eight countries being at a relatively early stage of the Connected Health journey, there is evidence that doctors truly desire change.

Highest-Ranking Benefits By Country Doctors have similar perceptions about the top benefits of healthcare IT. Singapore and Spain perceive an overall more positive impact versus their counterparts in US, Canada and Australia who are more skeptical.

Australia

Canada

England

France

Germany

Singapore

Spain

USA

Better access to quality data for clinical research

67.3%

61.0%

71.4%

72.3%

68.1%

69.1%

81.8%

57.5%

Reduction in medical errors

63.9%

60.0%

64.9%

59.8%

59.7%

60.3%

71.7%

55.2%

Improved coordination of care across care settings/service boundaries

59.9%

58.2%

67.1%

68.7%

72.6%

62.3%

82.2%

57.9%

Improved cross-organizational working processes

53.5%

58.2%

62.9%

69.3%

78.2%

58.8%

82.0%

56.6%

Improved quality of treatment decisions

57.1%

54.6%

64.7%

62.2%

64.7%

66.7%

73.9%

46.7%

Improved health outcomes for patients

60.5%

56.2%

61.6%

58.0%

55.4%

65.2%

67.3%

44.6%

Improved diagnostic decisions

55.5%

53.4%

62.7%

62.9%

67.1%

67.6%

71.7%

45.1%

Reduced numbers of unnecessary interventions / procedures

44.3%

47.8%

52.0%

58.6%

57.3%

68.6%

62.7%

40.3%

Increased speed of access to health services for patients

47.5%

39.0%

55.3%

41.6%

66.7%

65.2%

64.9%

41.0%

Reduced risk of litigation

49.1%

37.0%

44.1%

40.0%

32.5%

55.9%

53.3%

31.7%

Average score

55.8%

52.5%

60.7%

59.3%

62.2%

64.0%

71.1%

47.7%

Most frequently ranked benefit Second most frequently ranked benefit Third most frequently ranked benefit

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 12.1

EFFICIENT IT

Healthcare IT

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Connecting the US health system With the introduction of stimulus funding and ‘Meaningful Use’ criteria, the US federal government is building momentum for healthcare IT adoption and health information exchange, but more needs to be done to make the case to physicians.

While the survey shows that there is some convergence in physicians’ perceptions of the benefits of healthcare IT across countries (for example, in reducing medical errors and improving coordination of care across care settings and service boundaries), in most cases, US physicians are more skeptical about the benefits of healthcare IT than their international counterparts. The Accenture survey revealed an average response of 48 percent in terms of the net benefit of healthcare IT, compared to the global average of 59 percent across all eight countries. When considering the net benefit scores, the survey revealed some statistically significant gaps, particularly in relation to aspects of care management: • The US had the lowest percentage of doctors (45 percent) who think healthcare IT use will improve diagnostic decisions, compared to their international colleagues (61 percent).

• Only 47 percent of US doctors reported that technology has helped improve quality of treatment decisions – compared to a survey average of 61 percent.

• Just 45 percent report that healthcare IT leads to improved health outcomes for patients, against a survey average of 59 percent.

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 12.1

e-cycle On-site Secure Data Erasure Service Remploy e-cycle are experts in the secure erasure of client data.

Our trained engineers will arrive at your location and erase all your media devices to INFOSEC level 5 approval. We already work with many government departments to process and data destroy their unwanted assets.

We will; n Asset track all your hardware using a unique asset tracking number n Asset track your HDD or media item using its serial number n Securely erase your hard disk drives to impact level 5 using Blancco n In the event the hard disk is faulty we will degauss and shred to impact level 5 n You will receive a completed Blancco certificate for each HDD erased n Degaussing certificates and shredding certificates will be supplied with asset details n A full manifest will be supplied showing assets by serial number, client asset number (where applicable) and media serial number n We can further process your assets at our dedicated sites throughout the UK and can refurbish and remarket them in most cases giving you a cost neutral solution Trust Remploy e-cycle to protect your integrity and that of your clients. Do not compromise on security; erase your data in line with government standards, after all:

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PATIENT RECORDS

SECURING HEALTH RECORD DISPOSAL

Daniel Hawtin, managing director of The Shredding Alliance, explains the steps that need to be taken to procure a cost effective shredding supplier without the risk of compromising security levels or non-compliance with the Data Protection Act The nature of the information about identifiable individuals contained in health records means that the majority of documents handled by healthcare organisations are confidential and highly sensitive. As a result it is of the upmost importance that any processing – including holding, obtaining, recording, using, disclosing, disposal and destruction – is carried out in accordance with the Data Protection Act (DPA). At this point it is worth mentioning that the DPA applies to personal information in general. Therefore, the principals discussed also apply to employee records, such as finance and personnel.

RETENTION POLICIES Under the freedom of information legislation it is particularly important that the disposal of medical records – defined as the point in their lifecycle when they are either transferred to an archive or destroyed – is undertaken in accordance with established retention policies. Local retention schedules are usually based on internal requirements and are the responsibility of each individual healthcare organisation. Record retention periods should not be shorter than the minimum period set out in the Department of Health’s

result in criminal prosecution, non-criminal enforcement, audit or a monetary penalty notice of up to £500,000. The simplest and most cost effective way to ensure the highest levels of security and DPA compliance is for healthcare establishments to procure the services of a professional shredding company.

This will allow healthcare organisations to reduce administration time and make financial savings as well as have complete confidence in the security levels of the disposal.

PROCUREMENT PROCESS The sensitive and confidential nature of health records means that security is of the upmost importance throughout the procurement process. A shredding supplier at the very least should operate to ISO9001:2008 incorporating BS EN15713:2009, the European standard for the destruction of confidential information.

A superior supplier will also put in place all the necessary confidentiality contracts. Before appointing a supplier it is crucial to validate all accreditations and confirm how they will keep information secure prior to shredding.

As standard an accredited supplier will provide locked secure consoles that can be strategically located and vary in size according

Non compliance with the DPA heralds serious consequences and can result in criminal prosecution, non-criminal enforcement, audit or a monetary penalty notice of up to £500,000.

Records Management Code of Practice.

While the destruction of records is a serious and irreversible act, the continuing cost of storage and archiving of records for long periods must not be under estimated. Once records (including all copies) have reached the end of their administrative life and been selected for destruction, the process should be undertaken in a secure manner and in accordance with the DPA. It is the sole responsibility of each individual healthcare organisation to ensure the method utilised for destruction provides adequate safeguards against accidental loss or disclosure of records.

As well as being publically named and shamed, non compliance with the DPA heralds serious consequences and can

to individual site requirements. In addition, confidential shredding bags should be supplied, to ensure any overflow of information from one-off purges or archive clearances is kept secure. These bags need to feature a peel and seal lip as well as the ability to be shredded and recycled along with confidential information.

The customer service operators who handle the confidential information collections should only arrive at pre-agreed intervals, be uniformed, carry identification and been vetted to BS7858 with a ten year background check.

ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS It will pay dividends to seek out a shredding partner that can offer single source agreements for multi-site organisations. Before any formal

agreement is entered into, the shredding supplier should offer a free review that includes a full proposal of the current and proposed situation. This should also take into account any regular record appraisal policies, including archive clearances that are already in place. To ensure that the shredding service remains competitive and as efficient as possible, it is recommended that regular reviews are undertaken throughout the duration of the service agreement.

Bear in mind that the single largest cost when using a secure shredding service is the placement of the secure consoles and frequency with which they are emptied. To ensure the most cost effective service, it is important to find a provider that can offer rapid response times and a degree of flexibility with the methods of document destruction.

Data Destruction

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DESTRUCTION METHODS On-site and off-site shredding are the two main methods of document disposal and both offer healthcare establishments different benefits.

On-site shredding is carried out by mobile shredding trucks which travel to the premises to shred documents. An accredited provider will be comfortable with allowing the records manager to witness the shredding process and upon completion present a certificate of destruction, which is confirmation that the information has been shredded. The certificate forms part of the necessary information that is maintained and preserved by the records manager about the destruction of records. For these reasons on-site shredding is often the preferred method for health organisations.

Once the information has been shredded it is compacted into the back of the truck and the paper is baled and sent for recycling. The main benefit of on-site shredding is that it offers the records manager peace of mind that all confidential documents are destroyed before the operator leaves the premises.

Off-site shredding involves a slightly different process and is better suited to larger or oneoff consignments, such as periodical archive clearances. Customer service operators remove the confidential information from the consoles, bags or locked bins into a secure vehicle. A secure process should ensure that the vehicle is never left unattended or unlocked at any time. Prior to leaving the site, the operator will provide a certificate describing exactly what has been removed.

Within 24 hours of collection, the information is shredded via large industrial shredders, baled and dispatched for recycling. A certificate of destruction is subsequently issued.

A superior shredding provider will also ensure that all baled paper is sent to UK or European paper mills for recycling. A reputable supplier should be able to comply with any specific recycling requirement that contributes to an environmental policy. L FOR MORE INFORMATION www.theshreddingalliance.co.uk

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06/01/2012 16:09

BETTER NHS FOOD

HESTON KELPS THE NHS

Heston Blumenthal was drafted in by the NHS to spice up their menus last year, and visited Alder Hey hospital for his Channel 4 series ‘Heston’s ‘Michelin Impossible’. His latest experiments involve the use of seaweed to boost levels of levels of umami - a Japanese term for the fifth taste after sweet, sour, bitter and salty.

Last year chef Heston Blumenthal took to the challenge of changing the dinner menu of Alder Hey Children’s hospital on his televised show, Heston’s Mission Impossible. The NHS’s largest children’s hospital was experiencing a problem with the food in that the children wouldn’t eat it, and recovery was suffering as a result.

Blumenthal is not the first chef to investigate overhauling hospital food - Loyd Grossman was recruited by the NHS in 2001 as part of the Better Hospital Food Initiative, aimed at improving menus for patients. The programme ran until 2006.

Ideas for Alder Hey included a Flying Saucer sandwich, Kenny’s Stuffed Tomato (a beef tomato stuffed with mince) and Elaine’s Mint-Aliano Feast (layers of peppermint

custard, cream, lime jelly, chocolate sponge and mint chocolate sprinkled on the top).

Together Heston and the chefs proposed a menu of a cold buffet lunch with greater focus on the dinner time meal. Their proposal was to serve patients sandwiches with healthy fillings for lunch, made at the bedside by a member of the catering team.

To encourage children to choose a healthier option, the evening menu also included an ‘I Bet You Can’t Eat This Challenge’ which dared patients to try a dish with a risky name or ingredient. Experiments included a Caterpillar Pizza (pizza with real worms), Vomit Soup (chicken and sweetcorn soup) and Snot Shake (apple and kiwi fruit smoothie). The menu was rolled out across a couple of wards during filming.

AN ALTERNATIVE TO SALT? More recently, Blumenthal has come up with the idea of using kelp (seaweed) to make food more flavoursome without using additional salt. The idea is to enhance levels of umami - a Japanese term for the so-called fifth taste after sweet, sour, bitter and salty. The flavour can be found in foods such as parmesan cheese, tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms.

“Obviously you can’t put too much salt in food because that has health implications, so you can increase umami,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

Cooking broths and stews with the seaweed, which has high levels of naturally occurring glutamate, has been shown to give them a more meaty flavour, the chef said.

Tests were then carried out to see if patients enjoyed mince cooked with seaweed and initial results were “fantastic”.

Blumenthal is half way through the three-year project, which involves scientists from Reading University and is based at the town’s Royal Berkshire Hospital. It is hoped that if successful his improved meals could be rolled out across the NHS.

Catering

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He said: “If this does go through I think it could make a massive difference to the ability to produce better tasting food in hospital.”

ENVIRONMENT CHANGE The current project is looking at quite a narrow area of improving the taste of dishes but further changes were also needed, he suggested. One possibility was to “change the lighting, maybe change the colour, put some smell in the room, do something to inject a bit of fun.”

Blumenthal believes that enjoying food would ultimately make people feel positive and get better more quickly. He said that the “amazing” work of doctors and nurses was in contrast to patients being served up “stuff that most of us would never eat.”

Blumenthal said: “I think if we can just get to the point in hospitals where you can have something like a sandwich, a shepherd’s pie, a cottage pie, some scrambled eggs, a bowl of soup, made with inexpensive ingredients, just well made and tasty. If we can get to that point I think that would be a revolution.” L

What is kelp?

Kelps are large seaweeds belonging to the brown algae family.

They are known for their high growth rate.

Certain types can grow as fast as half a metre a day, reaching 30 to 80 metres. Giant kelp can be harvested fairly easily because of its surface canopy and growth habit of staying in deeper water.

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

35

HB Awards

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

HB AWARDS REVIEW

A HEALTHY COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE

The winners of the 2011 Health Business Awards were announced at the Emirates Stadium, London on 8th December. The 5th annual Awards recognise excellence and best practice within the NHS, and were presented by newsreader Juliet Morris The Health Business Awards is establishing a reputation for showcasing the success stories in the health sector. With the national media all too quick to focus on the perceived failings in the NHS, the Health Business Awards concentrates on the many examples of innovation, dedication and teamwork that are evident since the NHS transformation began in 1997.

The award categories incorporate facilities, technology, human resources, hospital management and transport as well as the Outstanding Achievement in Healthcare award, which this year went to East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust.

Last year, a Royal College of Physicians report named William Harvey Hospital, Ashford, as one of the best hospitals in the country for stroke care. The Trust, which was named by Dr. Foster Intelligence at the ‘Trust of the Year’ in 2010, has also secured the services of the most highly-skilled surgical hands on the planet - the DaVinci robot is being used to operate on prostate cancer at Kent & Canterbury Hospital. It can perform incredibly complex and precise operations.

Ambulance Trust of the Year went to South Central Ambulance Service NHS Trust as the best performing in England in terms of response times. The Trust also continued to improve its non-conveyance rates, and is the national leader in the field with 42.5% of patients being treated without having to be transported to hospital - an increase of 3.9% over 2010. July also saw a new facility opened to enable SCAS to provide an enhanced 999 emergency response to incidents on the M40 motorway.

University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust was recognised for Environmental Practice. The Trust has teamed up with Bristol University to pilot Green Impact Hospitals - a new accreditation scheme to help departments reduce their negative impact on the environment. Every department is challenged to implement a number of easy practical actions including recycling improvements, using less water, promoting sustainable travel and reducing waste.

The Sustainable Hospital Award went to

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 12.1

Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust, which has reduced its gas and electricity bills by £139,000 during the 2010/11 financial year as well as using 20 per cent less water across its sites. Energy saving initiatives have included the installation of effective steam control equipment and a heat recovery system at the Trust’s laundry in Parkwood, Maidstone.

Optimising existing systems and more frequent energy usage surveys to highlight changing trends have saved money and energy.

Wales Air Ambulance was named Air Ambulance Trust of the Year. In 2011, the charity expanded its Welshpool-based

an oak tree, designed by a local artist.

The hotly contested Estates and Facilities Innovation Award this year went to University College London. The development of its Carbon and Sustainability Management Plan began in 2009 with a self assessment to identify levels of performance in a variety of areas. Carbon reduction was embedded into the procurement process by introducing ‘whole life’ carbon costing alongside quality and price considerations.

All goods are delivered by suppliers to a single warehouse and held centrally.

Warwickshire scooped the Healthcare IT Award for its clinical results system. Trusts must conduct a venous thromboembolism risk assessment on all patients admitted to hospital. University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust created a tool based on its electronic patient record, known as the Clinical Results Report System, to increase the number of VTE Risk Assessments conducted, and to promote and improve patient safety. The project was one of only a handful from the public sector to receive a UK IT Industry Award run by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, and Computing.

The IT Innovation Award went to NHS Connecting for Health for the the N3 Managed Video Conferencing Service (N3MVC). This uses N3 as a platform to deliver an integrated video conferencing

Like most organisations, it’s the people that make the NHS. The dedication and professionalism of the all the people involved in these awards, from doctors and nurses, to administrators and facilities managers, should never go unnoticed. operation from a five-day service to seven days a week, ensuring that the whole of Wales receives full emergency air cover. The service operates three helicopters based in north, mid and south Wales. Last month, it was announced that full-time paramedics are to crew WAA helicopters for the first time, with WAA taking on 10 paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service, taking the total number to 15. This will generate considerable savings.

The Transport & Logistics Award went to East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, which opened a new £7.9 million green car park at Lister Hospital. The car parking space encompasses several floors and features electric vehicle charging points and a secure zone for parking bicycles. Other features are wheelchair accessible facilities, help points as well as a covered walkway which leads to the hospital entry. It has been equipped with various renewable energy sources including a silent wind turbine and photo voltaic solar panels which account for 10% of the facility’s renewable electricity.

Also featuired is a sculpture made from

service across the entire NHS, opening up video conferencing to everyone in the NHS with no additional network infrastructure to purchase. External organisations are able to connect their solutions as guests through the ISDN, N3 On-net or via the Public IP Gateway. N3MVC is supplier agnostic, allows seamless mixing of equipment speeds and integrates different classes of equipment to get the best experience, no matter what type of endpoint is used. The project has brought existing technology into productive use. The success of the N3MVC is demonstrated with the speed of the return on investment and take-up. In the first year the system has hosted over 10,000 hours of videoconferencing.

NHS Northamptonshire’s hard hitting binge drinking TV advert ‘Another Night Wasted’ picked up the NHS Publicity Campaign Award. The campaign aimed to encourage young people to reduce their alcohol consumption, and as part of the wider Northamptonshire alcohol strategy, it was produced in partnership with Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire E

Outstanding Achievement in Healthcare – East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust

Hospital Catering Award – North Bristol NHS Trust

HB Awards

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Hospital Cleaning Award – Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Healthcare IT Award – University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust

Transport and Logistics Award – East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust

NHS Publicity Campaign - NHS Northamptonshire

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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HB Awards

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

HB AWARDS REVIEW E County Council, and Northamptonshire Drug and Alcohol Action Team.

The advert features graphic images of two drunken youths - one male, one female sprawled on the floor and vomiting from having ingested too much alcohol. It combines shocking images with bold typography in order to get its message across.

Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust was recognised for its security, which has improved dramatically in the past four years. A national scheme to increase security in hospitals led to the appointment of Shaun McCartney as a security management specialist.

Across the 11 sites, a variety of 37 CCTV units and tannoy solutions were deployed.

A total of 17 access control installations as well as 24 proximity readers, break glass and infrared detectors were introduced.

This integrated system provided operators with a thorough overview of the entire site’s security and a quicker and more effective solution. Holding people to account has seen re-offending reduce , and helped to deliver a considerable drop in burglaries, violence against staff and incidents of theft at the trust.

St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust won the Hospital Building Award.

The new six-storey horseshoe-shaped Whiston Hospital is light and spacious, and has been designed with input from clinical staff and

patients. The hospital has 15 state of the art operating theatres along with the very latest diagnostic facilities. Related clinical departments are situated close together.

Colourful artwork of the seaside, parks and animals, designed by students, brightens up the children’s wards. Every floor has a different colour to prevent patients getting lost.

The Hospital Procurement Award went to the East of England Collaborative Procurement Hub for its ‘Specials Tooklit’. The Toolkit offers prescribing and dispensing advice, suggests alternatives to certain drugs which are commonly prescribed as ‘specials’ and gives sources of further information on specific issues. It was designed to help minimise costs and encourage best practice, and has been widely circulated across the UK. Pharmacy savings of £760,000 have been calculated for the East of England alone. Since the toolkit was launched, the East of England has bucked the national trend which has seen the costs of prescribing Special Medicines spiral upwards. The interim ‘Version 2’ was released in October 2011 and is being further updated in the light of the Specials tariff changes. The next version will be issued in January 2012.

Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust picked up the Hospital Cleaning Award. The Trust occupies a site of 68 acres, and prides itself on being one

of the cleanest hospitals in the country, demonstrable through its PEAT Green excellent status for 5 consecutive years, CQC and environmental results which also reflective of its high patient experience ratings. In order to sustain and improve its cleaning concept, the Trust has introduced a variety of innovations including digital monitoring signs, Dyson air blades and electronic hand sanitisers.

North Bristol NHS Trust was recognised in the Hospital Catering Award for its brilliant practice in keeping costs down, while benefiting UK farmers and the local economy. The Trust has made significant changes to where food is bought, increasing local sourcing substantially, while staying within a budget – around £2.20 per day, below the national average. It now buys milk from a local dairy and includes ice cream free from artificial colours or flavours.

PSi chairman David Devoto said: “Like most organisations, it’s the people the make the NHS. The dedication and professionalism of the all the people involved in these awards, from doctors and nurses, to administrators and facilities managers, should never go unnoticed, and should never be taken for granted. L FURTHER INFORMATION The next Health Business Awards will take place in 2013.

Visit www.hbawards.co.uk for details.

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Channel Suite at Leas Cliff Ensure compliance with Hall - a flexible event venue lab services from Latis With its panoramic balcony offering breath-taking views across the English Channel, the Channel Suite at the Leas Cliff Hall in Folkestone, Kent, is a truly impressive corporate venue. Events, both fun and formal, can be tailored to clients’ exact specifications with room for up to 250 people in the Channel Suite alone, or 1000 across the entire venue.

Perfect for exhibitions, conferences, lectures or just a simple breakfast meeting, the venue’s extensive facilities can be mixed and matched to suit exact requirements. Leas Cliff Hall’s layout of modern, fully air-conditioned rooms, on-site parking, a private late-licence bar and separate, private entrance with reception area, combine to offer a flexible solution for business events.

The venue is less than one hour from St. Pancras International via the High Speed Link, easily

reached by road with plenty of parking and a variety of hotels nearby, ensuring that the venue is accessible for all of delegates.

The experienced in-house catering team prepares and cooks all food within the venue, and can provide anything from a simple finger buffet to a full five course-feast. The events team are available for regular consultations to ensure all events runs smoothly.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 01303 228 606 www.leascliffhall.co.uk

Latis Scientific is a specialist in the provision of laboratory and technical services within the healthcare industry.

The company has over 20 years’ experience in various aspects of infection control, such as sterile services, operating theatres, hydrotherapy, dialysis and Legionella control.

Latis’s team of chemists, microbiologists and consultants provide both investigative site work, whilst ensuring compliance with all of the latest guidance, and regulation, including the soon to be published new Health and Technical Memorandums.

The company’s UKAS accredited laboratories are based in central London and it works in conjunction with three partner laboratories across the UK. In order to ensure that samples arrive at the laboratories in a fast, efficient and controlled

manner, Latis operates a fleet of temperature controlled vehicles.

Its laboratories are modern, state-of-the-art facilities with the latest technology, using the most innovative methodology.

Capabilities include the provision of chemical purity assays and the isolation of microbiological contaminants that cause concern within the healthcare industry such as Mycobacterium, Clostridium, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas and emerging pathogens such as Ralstonia pickettii.

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Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

CCE’s comprehensive venue range showcased at Learning and Skills Ever since it was created in the 1990s, Conference Centres of Excellence’s primary focus has been on bringing together a group of independent, dedicated conference and training providers which share the highest possible standards of focus, facility and service quality.

Executive Director Anthony Lishman has focused on improving the geographical footprint of Conference Centres of Excellence. This has moved quickly and the consortium has welcomed a variety of new members on board.

“We’ve widened choice in a very significant way,” explained Lishman. “The demands of organisers are now more fluid than ever, with a different balance of priorities influencing the process of choosing a venue. Our job is to have a range of member venues that address both conventional demands and new factors – all, of course, still representing

the pinnacle of quality.”

All the venues will be showcased at the Learning and Skills conference & Exhibition at London Olympia on January 25-26. The show theme mirrors perfectly Conference Centres of Excellence’s own objectives in the Learning professional development arena.

By bringing together all those involved in the provision and delivery of training under one roof, CCE is able talk directly to the people who matter to its members.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.cceonline.co.uk info@cceonline.co.uk Tel: 01926 623 127

ICS can help in mastering the art of communication To quote the celebrated health expert Robert Winston: “If you can master the art of successful communication you are well on your way to being a success as a human being.”

ICS stands for International Communication Skills. The company believes that successful communication is the basis for success in all walks of life, and its training philosophy based on a belief in each individual and a desire to enable them to be the best that they can be.

The company also believes that the conditions under which we heal best are identical to the conditions under which we learn best. They include having absolute confidence in the processes and the practitioners, and creating a stress-free, holistic environment in which to learn.

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which include public speaking, business writing, negotiation, minute taking and agenda/report writing. Also covered are dealing with the media, cross-cultural skills, speed reading, listening skills, presentation skills, dealing with difficult people, customer care and emotional intelligence.

Memory improvement and mind-mapping, accelerated learning and non-violent/ compassionate communication are also part of the ICS portfolio.

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 12.1

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EVENT PREVIEW

Learning & Development

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT WORKPLACE LEARNING Europe’s learning and development community will gather at London’s Olympia on 25-26 January for the thirteenth annual Learning Technologies Exhibition and Conference The event is Europe’s most important annual forum in the learning industry, attracting over 5,000 learning professionals from corporate, commercial, academic and public-sector organisations.

The Learning Technologies Exhibition and Conference is now in its thirteenth year. It focuses on the technologies used in workplace learning and is supported by the co-located Learning and Skills Exhibition, which covers the entire spectrum of

profound changes, not just those facing our learning and development community, but the wider social and human effects of technology on business and on all our lives.

“With economies in turmoil and companies bewildered, there has never been a stronger need for a different approach to business.

And we invite all L&D professionals that want to make a difference in their business to come and attend Europe’s most important L&D event this January.”

CONFERENCE The Learning Technologies Conference is a four-track conference with fifty sessions led by experts in the field of learning and development. The speaker line-up includes many of the learning industry’s most renowned visionaries and leaders and includes keynote addresses from Edward de Bono, Ray Kurzweil and Jaron

The keynote addresses at the Learning Technologies Conference this year are discussing profound changes, not just those facing our learning and development community, but the wider social and human effects of technology on business and on all our lives. organisational learning and development.

Learning Technologies 2012 Conference chairperson, Donald H Taylor, said: “Each year we bring together people with tremendous insight into how learning is evolving and must continue to evolve. The keynote addresses at the Learning Technologies Conference this year are discussing

Lanier. The conference discusses all of the important issues facing L&D. It’s an opportunity to listen to and interact with the contemporary thinkers and practitioners in workplace learning.

Sessions on the conference programme include keynote addresses, cafe sessions, case studies and theory presentations – with

opportunity both to listen and interact.

Delegates may follow one of the four themed tracks or pick-and-mix sessions from across the conference programme, whichever suits.

Speakers at the Learning Technologies 2012 Conference include: Professor Stephen Heppell, David Wilson, Andy Jones, Andy MacGovern, Barry Sampson, Bob Mosher, Charles Jennings, Clive Shepherd, Donald Clark, Chris Bones, Laura Overton, Nigel Paine, Steve Wheeler, Kevin Streater, and many more of the world’s foremost L&D visionaries.

There are two exhibitions running alongside the conference: The Learning Technologies Exhibition and the co-located Learning and Skills Exhibition. Both are free to attend and over 5,000 L&D professionals are expected.

The Learning Technologies Exhibition is a showcase of the technology used for learning at work. All of the leading providers of L&D technology products and services are exhibiting. The exhibition includes a free programme of Learning Technologies seminars running in five seminar theatres in the exhibition hall for visitors to attend.

The Learning and Skills Exhibition showcases the entire spectrum of methods, products and services for workplace learning with a focus on people development, learning and performance, learning resources and HR systems and services. It is built around a programme of free Learning and Skills seminars running throughout the day in four seminar theatres on the exhibition floor.

The combination of Learning Technologies and Learning and Skills provides access to 220 exhibitors – all of the leading learning providers are attending.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.learningtechnologies.co.uk

Volume 12.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Advertisers Index

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

ADVERTISERS INDEX

The publishers accept no responsibility for errors or omissions in this free service A to Z Catering Supplies

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Beacon Medaes

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Lateral Design Concepts

Carrier Rental Systems

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18, 19

Systematic Energy

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Latisscientific

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Triage Services

Dart Valley

OBC

Leas Cliff Hall

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Zurich

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