Health Business 13.1

VOLUME 13.1 www.healthbusinessuk.net

FLOORING

INFECTION CONTROL

HEALTH & SAFETY

NHS FLEETS

GREEN AMBULANCES Cutting the carbon from emergency response vehicles

FINANCE

THE FRANCIS REPORT

Can cost cutting and patient safety really go hand-in hand?

HEALTHCARE IT

MOBILE HEALTH APPS Transforming the way healthcare is delivered

IN THE NEWS: NHS PENSIONS LATEST | FORTH VALLEY ROBOT PATIENTS | MONITOR’S ‘RISK POOL’

HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Spinning out of control A curious case of poor communication from Whittington Hospital in North London was picked up by the Guardian after local press from Camden New Journal revealed that the Hospital’s innocently named Estates Strategy Report included plans to sell off £17m worth of unused public buildings.

The income is to be invested a new ambulatory care centre, an undergraduate education centre and improvements to maternity services. All pretty straightforward, you’d think.

But a communications cock-up now sees Whittington Health facing a rebellion.

Shirley Franklin, chair of Defend The Whittington Hospital Coalition, said she heard the changes had been approved second-hand: “It was buried in board papers.

It feels like it was secretive and a shock to everybody.” The hospital was also forced into a grovelling apology to Lib Dem MP Lynne Featherstone after telling members of the press that she had endorsed the changes, which she hadn’t.

Joe Liddane, chairman of Whittington Health, warned it was in danger of being swallowed up by the Royal Free, Homerton or UCLH. He told the Islington Gazette: “This is absolutely not scaremongering. We are local residents. We all want the Whittington to survive. This is a fight for its future. This is a fight for its survival.”

But Shirley Franklin said she “did not care” who provided the service, as long as there was a full hospital on the site. In a joint statement, the London NHS campaign groups said: “An unprecedented coalition of London residents, medical staff, trade unions and health campaigners has come together to raise the alarm regarding the biggest threats to A&Es, maternity units and in-hospital care for a generation.”

Richard Vize of the Guardian makes the point: “By failing to engage the public at every stage of the development of its plans, the Whittington has allowed its progressive ideas on keeping people at home rather than in hospital beds to become embroiled in fears about spending cuts and the danger of ‘another Mid Staffordshire’. Local journalists have united against them because they have not been engaged from the start. These debates can, and have been, won, if the starting point is talking with local people about the services we need to ensure we live as healthily and as independently as possible for as long as possible.”

Vize highlights a superb example of how hastily arranged, reactive public relations can do more damage than good. Sometimes, if you don’t lay your cards down on the table early enough, you should expect to be trumped.

Danny Wright

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Volume 13.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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CONTENTS

07 NEWS

35 PARKING

Monitor wants ‘risk pool’ for new NHS providers; BMA calls for action on pensions; doctors to train on robot patients

09

The demand for parking spaces at hospitals exceeds the supply and therefore it needs to be rationed and managed properly, writes Dave Smith of the British Parking Association

15 FINANCE

41 DESIGN & BUILD

Michael Boyd, head of healthcare at law firm DWF, discusses the challenge of balancing cost cutting with patient safety, following the Francis Report

Using the correct flooring helps people with dementia recognise a particular environment and the activity that takes place there

23 HEALTH & SAFETY

53 FLEET MANAGMENT

Health and safety must be communicated to both workers and patients to ensure it is understood and managed properly, writes RoSPA’s Roger Bibbings

Alexis Keech from Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust explains how Britain’s ambulances services are getting greener

27 ENERGY

23

Find out how your organisation can get involved in Climate Week, Britain’s biggest climate change campaign, from 4-10 March 2013

61 HEALTHCARE IT

31 INFECTION CONTROL

64 HC2013

How are mobile health applications transforming the way healthcare is delivered? Frost & Sullivan investigates

The British Institute of Cleaning Science discusses the need for accredited training to help prevent infectious outbreaks

31

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Mike Sinclair from BCS, the Chartered Institute of IT, previews HC2013, the health informatics congress

53

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CLINICAL COMMISSIONING

PATIENT RECORDS

Private firms sounded out over running Commissioning Support Units

Few GPs ready for online patient record access

According to Health Service Journal, the NHS Commissioning Board has approached several private companies about the possibility of running a commissioning support unit.

The board’s business development unit is attempting to find a long‑term solution for the Norfolk and Waveney CSU, which still does not have a permanent managing director.

Interim boss Robert Garner is due to leave at the end of March.

From April, CSUs will carry out a wide range of support tasks

for clinical commissioning groups, and are expected to play a key role in designing health services. According to HSJ, the commissioning board has approached Ernst and Young, Capita, Serco, Circle, Atos, KMPG, PWC and McKinsey about taking over the running of the CSU. Options under consideration include bringing in a private firm just to fill the chief executive post, or to form the entire top team.

Derek Felton, executive director at Ernst and Young, told

HSJ: “When such opportunities arise, we are naturally very cautious. We would need to be confident that any partnership was supported by customers and CSU staff, and we would want to ensure there was the basis for introducing modern and innovative clinical commissioning techniques.

“We would of course need to be confident that the combination of talent in customers, the CSU and our own teams could jointly achieve success for all.”

NHS PENSIONS

BMA calls for freeze on contributions The British Medical Council has urged the government to freeze NHS staff pension contributions at April 2012 levels. The BMA says capping the top three tiers would help tackle the ‘unfairness’ of the NHS pension scheme reforms.

If the government does not agree, doctors earning more than £48,983 face an increase in pensions contributions of 2.4 per cent from this April.

Those earning £26,558 to £48,982 would see a 1 per cent increase, while those

earning between £21,176 and £26,557 would have to contribute 0.3 per cent more.

This will be the second of three consecutive annual rises, which could leave the highest earning doctors paying 14.5 per cent of their salaries into the NHS pension scheme. It comes on top of an increase in 2008, when the NHS pension scheme was last reformed.

The association’s consultation response says the combined effect of the NHS pension scheme reforms mean that

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/bd7ls92

Monitor to establish ‘risk pool’ charging system in new NHS provider licences

Monitor will consult separately on the design of the charging system used to collect the required funds for the risk pool.

The regulator has also dropped conditions that restricted indebtedness and the levels of

With the Government’s deadline to give all patients online access to their healthcare records only two years away, just four per cent of GPs say their practice currently provides this functionality to patients.

The survey by Doctors.net.uk for eHealth Insider asked more than 1,000 GPs nationwide and found that 43 per cent of GPs said their practices had yet to address the issue.

Fifteen per cent of respondents said they had a long way to go before their IT system would be ready; while 24 per cent said they did not know whether their system allowed patients to access

between 2007/08 and 2014/15 doctors’ contribution rates will rise by 108 per cent for those earning around £49,000, 125 per cent for those earning around £70,000, and 142 per cent for those earning above £110,000.

It says: “It is important for the future sustainability of public sector schemes, that they remain sufficiently attractive to both lower earners and higher earners.”

MEDICAL CONTRACTS

Monitor has published the new NHS provider licence, which will regulate NHS service providers NHS including private and third sector operators.

The licence includes ‘continuity of services’ conditions to ensure that crucial services can continue even if the provider becomes financially distressed. These are designated as Commissioner Requested Services (CRS).

One of the more controversial conditions outlined in the licence obliges CRS providers to contribute, if required, towards the funding of a ‘risk pool’ – an insurance mechanism to pay for vital services if a provider fails.

News

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borrowing and lending a CRS provider could engage in. It also ditched a condition that prevented “cash lock-ups”.

David Bennett, chief executive at Monitor, said: “It is important that we create a balanced system of oversight in health care that puts the protection and promotion of the interests of patients at the heart of the regulatory process.”

Foundation trusts will need to be licensed from 1 April 2013 and other NHS providers from 1 April 2014.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/dxx6dha

their records online. A further five per cent of respondents said their IT system was ready but not live yet, and nine per cent said it was nearly ready.

Only 49 per cent of the GPs surveyed thought that providing patients with online access to their GP-held records would be useful; while 27 per cent agreed with the 2015 deadline imposed by the Government to implement the system.

The survey also asked GPs about their use of email for consultations and about their use of Twitter, Facebook to interact with patients. It found very little enthusiasm for email consultations, with 79 per cent of respondents saying they had never tried them and 58 per cent saying they had never interacted with their patients via social media.

READ MORE: tinyurl.com/a6vlpn7

Volume 13.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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WHISTLEBLOWING

Public Concern at Work launches Whistleblowing Commission Charity Public Concern at Work has launched a Whistleblowing Commission to examine the effectiveness of existing arrangements for workplace whistleblowing across a range of sectors, including healthcare.

The charity said there were too many examples where whistleblowing had not worked because people had been “afraid to speak out”.

The new commission will launch a public consultation in March looking at

whistleblowing from the point of view of individuals, organisations, and regulators, as well as the role of wider society and the effectiveness of current legislation.

The commission panel make up a “strong, independent group from different backgrounds that will bring unique insights on this very important issue,” said Carol Sergeant, chair, Public READ MORE: Concern tinyurl.com/bkgdhfv at Work.

News

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NEWS IN BRIEF Police to examine Francis Report for criminal evidence Staffordshire Police has announced plans to review evidence from the Francis Report to find out if there is any potential for criminal charges following care failings at Mid Staffordshire Foundation Trust. Since the report was published, police have come under pressure to investigate poor care at the trust, including from health secretary Jeremy Hunt who said the evidence READ MORE: should be tinyurl.com/byv86oa reviewed.

MENTAL HEALTH

Mental Health mortality figures released Mortality among mental health service users aged 19 and over in England was 3.6 times the rate of the general population in 2010/11, new Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) figures show.

People in contact with specialist mental health services had a higher death rate for most causes of death, especially mental and behavioural disorders and diseases of the nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, according to new analysis.

The findings are based on extended analysis of linked data from HSCIC’s Mental Health Minimum Dataset (MHMDS) to Office of National Statistics deaths data.

HSCIC chief executive Tim Straughan said:

“While it may be assumed that the mortality rate would be higher for diseases like dementia among mental health service users, it is perhaps unexpected that the mortality rate for more lifestyle related conditions is also much higher than for the general population.

“This data is a very valuable starting point for health professionals and the public alike to understand what is happening to people who access specialist mental health services. Its high level of completeness provides compelling evidence as to what is happening within our communities READ MORE: and our tinyurl.com/ael6vtc hospitals.”

READ MORE: www.scsc.scot.nhs.uk

Robots Stan and Reg help train future doctors at newly-opened Scottish Clinical Information Centre Scottish doctors and nurses are set to hone their techniques on robot patients at the newly‑opened Scottish Clinical Simulation Centre, based at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital.

The centre allows NHS staff and students from across the country to improve their skills by practicing on hi-tech mannequins in simulated operating theatres.

The family of seven robots includes ‘Stan’, who can respond to anaesthetic gases and is used to train anaesthetists. Another resident is ‘Reg’, who has a heartbeat, can give blood and describe his symptoms. Reg is used to train emergency doctors and nurses.

There is also a baby, two children and a pregnant woman mannequin. Dr Michael Moneypenny, director of the Centre, said: “Feedback from course participants has been extremely positive with staff reporting that they feel more confident and skilled in how they apply their knowledge, particularly in managing medical emergencies, which ultimately benefits patients.”

Poll reveals public trusts doctors the most An IPSOS MORI poll of more than 1000 adults indicates that Doctors are the most trusted profession. The poll revealed that 89 per cent of the 1,018 adults surveyed trust doctors to tell the truth, 9 per cent said they didn’t trust them to tell the truth and a further 2 per cent said they didn’t know. Just one in five (18 per cent) of those which responded trust politicians to tell the truth compared to 21 per cent trusting journalists and bankers and 24 per cent who trust READ MORE: estate tinyurl.com/bal658u agents.

New tool to support safer GP prescribing A new computer tool to help reduce the risk of commonly made drug prescribing errors has been launched by the University of Nottingham’s PRIMIS business unit. The PINCER Query Library Tool has been developed after the a clinical trial showed that a pharmacist‑led computer-based prescription checking and GP feedback system led to significantly fewer prescribing errors than traditional computerised feedback alone. The PINCER trial involved at-risk patients in 72 general practices taking the drugs that are most commonly and consistently associated with medication errors. The general practices were randomly allocated to receive either computerised feedback on patients at risk, or computerised feedback with support from a pharmacist to correct any errors detected. When followed up six months later the general practices receiving pharmacist support had fewer prescribing errors. The tool is free to all GP READ MORE: practices in tinyurl.com/at3pfsd England.

Volume 13.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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PROCUREMENT

LPP and GPS partner for better NHS procurement

Collaborative procurement organisation NHS London Procurement Partnership (LPP) and Government Procurement Service (GPS) have established a strategic alliance to help drive efficiencies for London NHS trusts.

An official memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed on 6 February by Mario Varela, managing director of LPP and David Shields, managing director of GPS, which sets out key principles and areas of joint working.

Over 40 NHS trusts in London already benefit from the close working relationship between LPP and GPS. The new MoU seeks to build upon that with the aim of securing best value for LPP members and ensuring LPP and GPS are coordinated in their efforts to provide best in class procurement support. Contracts covered in the first wave of collaboration

between the two organisations include IT hardware, BT services and consultancy.

Mario Varela said: “We look to find the most appropriate procurement options for our members, and where it is sensible to pool resources or signpost members to the best available procurement agreements, we will do that. The MOU with GPS is a good example of two organisations working in the best interests of the NHS and, ultimately, patients.”

David Shields said: “This agreement demonstrates our shared commitment to working in partnership to combine purchasing volumes and deliver cost savings that benefit READ MORE: the health tinyurl.com/bxf7l32 sector.”

FINANCE

Guidance on Primary Care Rebate Schemes published by LPP A series of principles designed to help GPs, CCGs and PCTs to avoid potential pitfalls when claiming financial rebates on particular branded medicines has been published by the London Procurement Partnership (LPP).

This comes following a wave of queries about the Primary Care Rebate Schemes (PCRS).

Jas Khambh from the London Procurement Partnership (LPP) said that it was unclear if such schemes were permitted under current legislation and if they offered genuine benefits to the NHS and patients, and not become an administrative burden. Khambh said: “We are now satisfied that the schemes are not unlawful per se. However, they need to meet

certain requirements to avoid falling foul not only of the Drug Tariff and the controls on pricing under the NHS Act 2006, but of a raft of other UK legislation including the Medicines Act, Human Medicines Regulations, the Bribery Act and EU laws.

“Once agreed, a rebate scheme becomes a contractual agreement between the manufacturer and an NHS legal entity. We have produced good practice guidance for CCGs and PCTs on how to robustly scrutinise and implement any proposed scheme.” Download the principles READ MORE: from the LPP tinyurl.com/aj2tf79 website.

News

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NEWS IN BRIEF Bradford healthcare assistant gets MBE Pat Conell, a healthcare assistant from Bradford Teaching Hospital has received an MBE for services to the NHS from Prince Charles. Connell, who has worked at Bradford Royal Infirmary for more than 24 years, is one of ward one’s most valued members of staff and was nominated by senior sisters, Jane Palmer and Sonya Tetley, who described her as an “inspirational role model” and a “tireless worker.”

Connell said: “I never, in a million years, imagined that I would ever get something like an MBE.”

Hospital launches feedback app An app which allows patients to give feedback in real-time has been launched by Birmingham Children’s Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. It will enable children, young people and their families to send comments directly to a ward with the anonymous message going straight to the manager in charge. A message is sent to the patient’s phone saying what action has been taken. The hospital trust said it believes the app is the first of its kind in the NHS. Health READ MORE: apps, tinyurl.com/ax4lrtw p61



£6.5m for ‘bionic legs’ for military amputees

ENVIRONMENT

Cameron shows support for forthcoming NHS Sustainability Day Prime Minister, David Cameron has given his support for the forthcoming NHS Sustainability Day. All NHS organisations and stakeholders are being asked to sign up to a ‘day of action’ on sustainability. The day, taking place on the 28 March, is the brainchild of Trevor Payne, Director of Estates and Facilities, Barts Health NHS Trust and is being hosted

by Barts Health NHS Trust with support from media partner Govtoday. The day follows on from last year’s first day of action which saw over 140 Trusts and healthcare organisations participate in a varied set of events and initiatives up and down the country with further engagement online.

Cameron said: “The NHS Sustainability Day is a very important initiative that aligns with this Government’s ambitions for a low-carbon and eco-friendly economy. I am encouraged by the scale of reduction in carbon the NHS is contributing towards the UK’s target and the acknowledgement that there is more to do.”

Stephen Fry has given his support for the day, saying: “It’s a fabulous opportunity to make a difference and make healthcare more sustainable.”

Read about NHS Sustainability Day and Climate READ MORE: Week http://tinyurl.com/ap6fpuc on p27



The government has set aside £6.5m for injured military personnel who have legs amputated to be given the most up-to-date prosthetic limbs.

The micro‑processor limbs, known as “bionic legs”, will be available to service personnel who have been wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan and will offer them greater mobility.

Expected to benefit 160 members of the armed forces, the limbs will be fitted where clinically appropriate at the Headley Court military rehabilitation centre WATCH THE VIDEO: in Epsom, tinyurl.com/bkzugm6 Surrey.

Volume 13.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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PAEDIATRIC CARE

Child hospital stays rising A report in Archives of Disease in Childhood showed 739,000 children under 15 were admitted in 2010, up from 594,000 in 1999. The greatest increase was in children under five years of age.

There has been a surge in births in the UK, but even accounting for the growing numbers of children there was still a 28 per cent increase in the admissions rate between 1999 and 2010.

Admissions in children under 12 months increased by 52 per cent and the rate increased by 25 per cent in those aged between one and four.

The researchers said possible explanations included changing behaviour of parents; a lack of out-of-hours GPs; NHS direct recommending parents take their child to hospital; hospitals admitting children in order to avoid breaking

the four-hour A&E waiting times; doctors being more cautious and admitting more patients.

Dr Hilary Cass, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said more services needed to be offered outside of hospitals, with paediatricians working more closely with GPs.

CONTRACTS

Circle Health rounds up new Nottingham NHS contract Circle Health has had its contract to run Nottingham NHS treatment centre renewed for a further five years. The contract is worth between £22 million and £42 million per year, according to the original tender document.

In its latest interim results, Circle reported that Nottingham NHS Treatment Centre generated revenues of £26.2 million and provided Circle with £2.5 million in gross earnings for the six months ended 30 June 2012.

The private hospital group was named the preferred bidder after a seven-month tender process managed by NHS Midlands & East’s Strategic Projects Team on behalf of Principia Rushcliffe Clinical Commissioning Group. According to the Health Service Journal, Circle was competing against Ramsay Healthcare and Nottingham University Hospitals Trust in the last round of the READ MORE: bidding tinyurl.com/b3wabpv process.

HEALTHCARE IT

IT guideline breaches in Scotland

NHS staff in Scotland breached IT guidelines almost 500 times in the past three years, according to data gathered by the Conservatives under Freedom of Information legislation.

A total of 481 breaches were recorded by health boards from 2010. Incidents

included sharing passwords, swearing in emails, inappropriate Facebook comments and staff installing banned software on health board computers.

The data shows that at least 195 breaches were recorded last year, with at least 170 recorded in 2011 and 109 in 2010.

Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said: “More and more sensitive information in hospitals is being held electronically, including patient records and highly-confidential data.

“As a result, we need to ensure those who have access act completely responsibly to ensure it doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.

“The fact this trend appears to be increasing is very concerning, particularly when you consider high-profile incidents of data loss READ MORE: over recent tinyurl.com/b49xmpk years.”

News

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MEDICAL TRIALS

Hospital trials sugar for wound care Granulated sugar is being assessed as a treatment for wounds such as pressure ulcers in a trial at Mosely Hall Hospital in Birmingham.

Zimbabwean Moses Murandu, a senior lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton, is leading the research as sugar is commonly used to speed up healing and manage pain in his home country.

Alan Bayliss, an inpatient at Moseley Hall (part of Birmingham Community Healthcare) is one of the patients who has received sugar treatment during the trial. He had his right leg amputated above the knee and surgeons also removed a vein from his left leg, leaving a cavity wound, which failed to heal well with normal dressings.

A fortnight after the sugar started to be applied, the patient’s wound was much smaller and was healing effectively. Bayliss has described the READ MORE: treatment as tinyurl.com/ajlrvvg “revolutionary”.

CLINICAL COMMISSIONING

Board approves third wave of CCGs The NHS Commissioning Board has authorised 62 more clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to commission healthcare services for their communities.

From 1 April 2013, a total of 211 CCGs will be responsible for £65 billion of the £95 billion NHS commissioning budget. The remaining 48 CCGs are set for authorisation in March 2013. The third wave of CCGs, which have all completed a rigorous assessment, will in total plan and commission hospital, community health and mental health services on behalf of more than 13 million people. The 163 CCGs authorised so far will serve a total of around 42 million people.

Dame Barbara Hakin, the NHS Commissioning Board’s national director: commissioning development, said: “We are moving at pace towards a clinically-led NHS that is focused on delivering improved health outcomes, quality, patient safety, innovation and public participation.”

Authorisation is granted after experts have ensured the CCG is safe and effective through a rigorous assessment and assurance process which includes reviewing the CCG’s policies, carrying out detailed site visits, interviewing and assessing its leaders and assessing its work with stakeholders and patients.

Six of the 62 CCGs in the second wave have been authorised with no conditions, meaning they fully met all 119 authorisation criteria. A further 56 CCGs have been authorised with conditions, meaning they will continue to receive some formal support to help them continue their development so that they also fully meet READ MORE: the criteria in tinyurl.com/b9mqn3t all areas.

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PATIENT SAFETY

While the Francis Report into the serious failings at the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust identified a number of contributory factors, too much emphasis on achieving financial balance was a main factor. Michael Boyd, head of healthcare at law firm DWF discusses how the report impacts the wider NHS

ts Attemp er to recovncial a from fine (which c imbalanly involves invariabuts) often staff c cts on impa care patient

STAFFORD HOSPITAL Though a forensic analysis of the issues that arose at Stafford Hospital highlights many deep-rooted problems, it is apparent that the drive towards NHS Foundation Trust status – by delivering financial balance – was a main cause of the shift in focus away from the needs of patients. In short, as Francis pointed out: “[It’s] a culture focused on doing the system’s business – not that of the patients.”

Although the scale of the consequences of the problems experienced at Stafford is, hopefully, unique, the problems themselves are not. When the Health Secretary acknowledges that there are “pockets of Staffordshire-like neglect” across the NHS, there needs to be a fundamental assessment of these two key underlying problems and a consideration of radical solutions which could mitigate their impact.

Written by Michael Boyd, head of healthcare at law firm DWF

THE TREATMENT OF FINANCIAL IMBALANCE

It is no exaggeration to say that the Francis Report represents one of the most significant events for patients since the NHS was created in 1948. At the heart of its 290 recommendations is the principle that patients’ interests should take priority over all other factors. Although arguments can be made that this principle is already enshrined within public sector healthcare (and is likely to be strengthened in the new NHS Constitution), many would say that too many in the NHS have only been paying lip service to patients’ interests and that it has become a less‑observed value than patients are entitled to expect.

While the Francis Report identifies a number of contributory factors, Michael Boyd, head of healthcare at business law firm, DWF, considers how an emphasis on finances within the NHS has helped force patients’ interests into the back seat.

Finance

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

FINANCIAL RECOVERY Providing high-quality healthcare is not always consistent with balancing the books.

The flip side of this is that attempts to recover from financial imbalance (which invariably involves staff cuts) often impacts on patient care. The extent and timing of this will, of course, be influenced by a number of factors, including: the nature of the cuts being made; the staff-types affected; and whether they amount to an initial wave of savings or form part of a series of cost-saving measures.

The drive to deliver cost-savings is not restricted to Trusts seeking to deliver financial balance as part of a Foundation Trust application. The NHS as a whole has been tasked with delivering savings of £20 billion by 2015 as its contribution to reducing the Government’s deficit. Although some E

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PATIENT SAFETY

Finance

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

need to be amended to make them more realistic and, as part of this process, ensure there has been an exhaustive assessment of likely impacts on patient care which can be revisited as circumstances change.

It is also perhaps time to review the place of the NHS as a source of deficit reducing savings and either ring-fence it from this exercise completely or establish more realistic targets.

In any publicly-funded health system, there are bound to be tensions between treatment, patients’ interests, finances and delivering on centrally‑set targets.

However, it is clear from Francis that so much focus was placed on financial and policy priorities that there was an obvious conflict with patients’ interests  organisations are able to achieve savings without impacting on patient care, this is not the case across the NHS and, in the light of a cost reduction programme that extends to 2015, NHS finance directors have already registered their concerns about the impact on the quality of care of long-term austerity measures.

All the low hanging fruit has now been picked and one of the main casualties of this challenging process will be care quality.

BALANCING THE BOOKS In any publicly funded health system, there are bound to be tensions between treatment, patients’ interests, finances and delivering on centrally-set targets. However, it is clear from Francis that so much focus was placed on financial and policy priorities that there was an obvious conflict with patients’ legitimate interests. Mid Staffordshire is not unique. Many other NHS providers face a daily struggle to achieve the same conflicting system-wide priorities.

The real concern is that the drive for financial balance and savings could lead to a downward spiral in care quality across the board, and increase the size of the pockets of Staffordshire-like neglect that exist in various places across the system. While a general amnesty on outstanding debts that fall outside of acceptable levels is probably not the best way of proceeding (Francis acknowledged that there does need to be some degree of financial discipline), it is perhaps time to revisit recovery programmes. These would

MOVING FORWARDS It will take the NHS a significant amount of time to absorb the findings and recommendations from the 1,919 page Francis Report. There will be no quick fixes to solve the problems identified, and it won’t be practical to take all of the recommendations on board immediately.

The interests of patients need to be foremost in the mind of everyone within the service, but the Government may need to think long and hard about how this can be balanced with deficit recovery. While financial viability of the service as a whole is important, on a local level questions are being raised as to whether this should be in preference to patient interests. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.midstaffspublicinquiry.com/report

About the Francis Report Robert Francis QC’s final report of the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry considers over 250 witnesses and over one million pages of documentary evidence.

The Inquiry has been examining the commissioning, supervisory and regulatory bodies in the monitoring of Mid Staffordshire hospital between January 2005 and March 2009. It has been considering why the serious problems at the Trust were not identified and acted on sooner, and identifying important lessons to be learnt for the future of patient care.

It builds on Francis’s earlier report, published in 2010 after the earlier independent inquiry on the failings in the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust between 2005 and 2009.

The Inquiry identifies a story of terrible and unnecessary suffering of hundreds of people who were failed by a system which ignored the warning signs of poor care and put corporate self interest and cost control ahead of patients and their safety.

The report makes 290 recommendations designed to change this culture and make sure patients come first by creating a common patient centred culture across the

NHS. These include a structure of fundamental standards and measures of compliance; openness, transparency and candour throughout the system underpinned by statute; improved support for compassionate, caring and committed nursing, and; stronger healthcare leadership.

Robert Francis QC said: “We need to ensure fundamental standards are enforceable by law – and the criminal law in the most serious of cases.

Senior managers should be made accountable, patients need to be protected from poor nursing standards and all staff should be empowered to be open and transparent when it comes to the well‑being of the people in the care.

“The NHS can provide great care and the system and the people in it should make sure that happens everywhere. The recommendations I am making represent not the end but the beginning of a journey towards a healthier culture in the NHS where patients are the first and foremost consideration of the system and all those who work in it. It is the individual duty of every organisation and individual within the service to read this report and begin working on its recommendations today.”

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DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT

ADDING VALUE TO LEGACY RECORDS

Advertisement Feature

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Given that the time-consuming and costly processes necessary to sort, prepare, and in many cases re-structure existing paper records, cannot be justified often, what are the alternatives?

The majority of document management solutions in use in the UK provide facilities for capturing, managing, and delivering electronic records. A key requirement at most sites is to capture the legacy paper records which have been typically collated and managed over the years with few, if any, guidelines on how to manage paper records – there is a large variation in the way organisations file paper records, ranging from random storage within paper folders (worst case) to organised filing within tabs or sections held in such folders.

Consequently, the high investment required to sort, prepare, and digitise such records for use by practioners, is difficult to justify.

technologies offer a way forward for organisations to keep the cost of digitising legacy records to a minimum and provide a more acceptable solution for practioners, ie. systems that take away paper from users must provide clear advantages and a compelling case for not using paper rather than simply replacing paper with an electronic image.

SCANNING LEGACY RECORDS Organisations looking to digitise legacy records have to meet a variety of business objectives which may include: cost related to maintaining existing record libraries; pressure on storage space, especially if moving to

Given that legacy casenotes exist and do not conform to modern filing practices, is there any way of adding value to make it easier for practioners to use the electronic records rather than relying on paper?

As a result, scanning processes are put in place to digitise the paper records using the quickest and cheapest options – ie. scan the records as they are found. It is worth stating at the outset, that new (or ongoing) records captured within document management systems and information created within such systems do not fall under the same trap – classification of new records is much more granular and, furthermore, automated to a large degree. Consequently, access and use of these records within an electronic system is more acceptable and welcomed by practioners.

COST MODELS The cost models for scanning paper records to alleviate storage space are based on scanning these as they are found. These have not changed. Consequently, given the poor and variable paper filing practices, the digitised records add little value in delivering information and the digitisation exercises do not adequately compensate for the loss of the universal convenience of paper.

While clever facilities within the viewing software help users to navigate through the electronic records, these are not seen as an ideal solution and, at worst, lead to ‘IT failures’ due to poor user acceptance.

Advances in recognition and classification

a new site; operational costs - finding and delivering records, especially across a number of geographically distributed sites; strategic objectives related to operational performance and efficiency gains; customer services etc.

Each legacy record must be prepared prior to scanning – this manual labour accounts for a large part of the scanning cost. Once prepared, the scanning system can automate the rest of the process.

The manner in which records are prepared for scanning will be driven by local policies – typically costs. In an ideal world, the preparation of each record (for example, a case file) should: Remove clips and staples; straighten out each sheet of paper; contain a consistent set of sections/sub-sections (the tabbed dividers); each sheet of paper or document should be filed under the relevant section; remove documents which are no longer relevant; file each document within a section in an agreed manner, eg. latest first. The result will be a paper case file which contains all relevant documents filed under the correct sections, in chronological order, ie. practioners can easily find the information they are looking for.

Meanwhile, in the real word, this is a timeconsuming and costly exercise and does not happen. As a minimum, organisations

will ensure that clips and staples are removed unless they are prepared to pay for replacing expensive scanning hardware.

Beyond this, it simply boils down to how much time and money are available. The high volumes of legacy records means that even a small change in the processing cost for each will make huge differences in overall scanning costs. In essence, the classic mistake of ‘rubbish-in, rubbish-out’ is repeated, with IT systems being blamed because users feel that paper is being taken away and alternative solutions (for legacy documents) do not make their lives easier.

Given that legacy casenotes exist and do not conform to modern filing practices, is there any way of adding value to make it easier for practioners to use the electronic records rather than relying on paper?

ADDING VALUE TO SCANNED RECORDS The solution, developed in close liaison with practioners, is designed to apply modern filing disciplines to existing (and new) scanned records, with little (or no) user intervention. The solution is in live use, and recognises two key operational limitations: legacy casenotes evolve over time, with few (if any) filing disciplines in force, and scanning budgets are limited.

It will not: force changes in scanning processes and increase scanning costs; automatically re-file or re-structure electronic case files; improve the content of scanned documents; recognise hand‑written text; improve hand-writing.

It will: process existing scanned records; apply filing rules retrospectively; provide practioners with an alternative view of the electronic case files; allow organisations to update filing guidelines and re-apply these; work un-attended, in the background (once setup & configured).

Using technology to add value to scanned records is enabling practioners to access and view legacy case files in a manner consistent with how they access and view ongoing and new information, regardless of how the legacy records are digitised. This process can be applied retrospectively to existing image repositories to spread the tangible benefits provided by document management solutions across all electronic records. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.ccubesolutions.com

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Health & Safety

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

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BullsEye senses where the user aims and sweeps the laser training extinguisher and automatically varies the LED-driven digital flames in response. Trainees learn how to effectively use a fire extinguisher without the cost and clean-up associated with using dry-chemical or CO2 extinguishers.

BullsEye’s electronic control system responds to the trainees’ actions, putting the fire out only when the extinguisher is used correctly.

BullsEye utilises digital flames to simulate class A, B and C fires at four difficulty levels and has the capability of grading trainees on their performance. The integrated conical laser replicates the extinguisher discharge of a dry-chemical or CO2 extinguisher. Because only laser light is emitted from the training extinguisher, extinguisher training can be conducted in any environment or setting.

The laser-driven system is completely safe and appropriate for trainees of all ages while still providing a dynamic and realistic training simulation. Life-saving fire extinguisher training can be provided to hundreds of participants in a single day.

The BullsEye is developed, manufactured and delivered by HAAGEN Ltd. HAAGEN is a

leading manufacturer of fire and safety training tools used worldwide.

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 13.1

HEALTH & SAFETY “...The ealth r of h numbes who have r worke xposed to a been e-borne virus blood at work has while ed over the doubl ecade...” last d

MANAGING HEALTH & SAFETY

A hospital environment presents a multitude of hazards on a daily basis, which is why health and safety must be communicated to both workers and patients to ensure it is understood and managed properly. Roger Bibbings, occupational safety adviser at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) takes note A hospital environment presents a multitude of hazards on a daily basis, which is why health and safety must be communicated to both workers and patients to ensure it is understood and managed properly.

Roger Bibbings, occupational safety adviser at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) takes note.

From lone working to falls, from musculoskeletal disorders to infection

control, hospital employees have to be prepared for anything. And it is worth noting in this context, that because of their caring ethos, many people employed in the care sector often show more concern for those they care for than they do for themselves, often putting their own health and/or safety at risk in the process.

But, of course, it is important to remember that hospitals deliver important services

FINANCIAL POLICIES There are obviously legal and moral reasons for managing health and safety effectively and there is also a strong business case.

Prosecutions for health and safety breaches have resulted in some sizeable financial penalties, and court proceedings can also severely damage the reputation of both public and private sector organisations.

The duties in the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (HSWA) require employers to ensure, “so far as is reasonably practicable”, the health, safety and welfare of all employees and anyone who may be affected by their work - something which The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 also builds on by requiring suitable and sufficient risk assessment.

Having a robust system in place to manage health and safety, rather than relying on one-off interventions, is just one of the many basic principles which, if implemented effectively, can enable organisations, such as hospitals, to ensure the health and safety of all employees and patients. And, of course, the right policies, people and procedures are also needed to make this work, for example, informing, training and supervising employees; reporting, recording and investigating accidents and near-misses; and periodically reviewing performance and feeding back lessons learned.

But it is not just about rules and procedures. There has to be a positive culture of health and safety led by managers, starting at board level and backed by open and honest employee involvement in decision making at every level. Health and safety is something which you can only do successfully with people and not to them.

Written by Roger Bibbings, RoSPA

to some of the most vulnerable members of society, which means risk assessments need to be undertaken in order to ensure the necessary preventive measures are put in place for everyone affected. Employers have a duty in law to ensure not just the absence of risk to the safety and health of employees, but the safety of patients and all others who may be affected by their undertakings.

Health & Safety

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

HOW TO MANAGE THE RISKS It is not uncommon for those employed at hospitals to spend much of their time working alone. But while it is the employer’s duty to assess risks to lone workers and take steps to avoid or control those risks where necessary, employees themselves are equally responsible for their own health and safety and that of the people they look after. 

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HEALTH & SAFETY  For example, employers of lone workers in primary care or any other sector who deal with patients should conduct a “suitable and sufficient” risk assessment to help define the correct people handling process to be adopted. Some staff, such as nurses, may have to adopt and hold awkward postures as part of their work, so it is paramount that any stresses and strains arising when caring for and treating people are addressed.

Training is particularly important for lone workers because there is limited supervision and guidance should an unusual situation arise. Employers should also ensure that lone workers are experienced enough to work alone and able to handle circumstances which may arise, such as aggression. Ultimately, supervisors should be available for guidance, for example, should a difficult situation arise, and able to check the lone worker’s progress and quality of work. The frequency of support contact and visits is for management to decide and should not be left down to the individual.

Meanwhile, the same approach towards planning - recording accidents and hazards and making these details clear to everyone in the workplace – also needs to be adopted for any cleaning and maintenance work undertaken in order to encourage good health and safety practice. It is by ongoing monitoring and review of management arrangements that any areas in need of improvement can be highlighted and agreed actions put in place.

By involving employees in this process, the employer is ensuring that those who are often best placed to assess the effectiveness of the management system, are able to give their feedback in order to help deal with the risks.

LOST DAYS According to 2010/11 statistics gathered by the Health and Safety Executive, about five million working days (1.78 days per worker) have been lost due to self-reported work-related illness and injury. Around 90 per cent of this was illness related. Some of the more serious injuries and fatalities have been a result of falls from or through windows, whether as the result of an accident (such as sitting on and subsequently falling from a window sill); because of a confused mental state (such as a dementia patient mistaking a window for a fire exit); or due to deliberate self-harm or suicide. A thorough risk assessment can pinpoint the windows or balconies which are at a height to cause potential harm and can help to suggest suitable safety precautions. Window restrictors are a legal requirement, where people who are vulnerable to the risk of falling and have access to the windows (both at height and ground level) may be liable to harm.

Good health and safety is a hallmark of professionalism in the healthcare sector, but it has to be planned for and worked at, especially in today’s challenging healthcare environment Workers in the healthcare sector are exposed to infections on a daily basis and therefore it may come as no surprise, for example, that data from physician reporting schemes indicates infection rates of about 30 per 100,000 workers per year among nurses, most of which are diarrhoeal diseases. But it is not uncommon for more serious infections to occur. For example, a healthcare worker accidentally jabbing themselves or a colleague with a needle which is contaminated with potentially infected blood material. This is why the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) exists to help employers protect workers’ health.

BLOOD-BOURNE VIRUSES According to a report from the Health Protection Agency (HPA), the number of health workers who have been exposed to a blood-borne virus while at work has doubled over the last decade. There were 541 cases in 2011, up from 271 in 2002. Most of the “needle stick injuries” that exposed healthcare workers to the viruses occurred in wards, operating theatres, intensive care units and A&E units. The HPA said a “major proportion” of the injuries were preventable.

Contact with blood-borne viruses (BBV) in exposure incidents must be treated with speed and this is why emergency planning is so important, from foreseeing these types of incidents to setting out procedures for employees to follow and identifying safety equipment to be used.

As well as fulfilling their other legal responsibilities under COSHH, employers should also identify the hazards associated with BBV exposure where required. By evaluating the risks and deciding on precautions, findings can then be recorded and the relevant control measures put in place. Further reassessment of the identified risks and control measures will ensure that standards remain high.

Another hazard to be aware of if you are employed in the health and social care sector is that of hot water and hot surfaces such as pipes and radiators. Those at risk include children, the elderly, and people with reduced mental capacity and mobility, among others. Hospitals can often have higher water temperatures (of over 44°C)

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Health & Safety

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

which are useful, for example, to reduce Legionella contamination, but they can also pose a scalding risk. Many accidents involving scalding have been fatal and have mainly occurred during bathing or showering. Where precautions are taken, such as dropping water temperatures to below 44°C (where vulnerable people may be at risk of scalding during full body immersion), efforts should be made to make sure that other risks are not introduced such as Legionellosis. To help minimise the risk of a vulnerable person sustaining a burn from a hot surface, efforts should be made to make sure the surface does not exceed 43°C when the system is running at the maximum design output. Precautions may include insulation or providing suitable covers.

These are just a few of the hazards that give rise to risk in health care settings. Many of the risks, such as slips and trips or accidents with vehicles, both on-site and out on the road, are common to all kinds of business and much can be learned from how other organisations tackle these issues. There is also a mass of useful information on the internet.

CONCLUSION During tough times, we can’t afford not to make difficult judgement calls about where to direct resources. RoSPA is urging organisations not to turn their backs on health and safety. Indeed, when times are hard and budgets are tight, the logic for modest spending in a targeted way to reduce costly accidents and work-related health damage is even stronger. The key priorities remain sustaining senior management commitment, engaging the whole workforce, ensuring competence and making sure there is always access to specialist advice.

Staff training in particular is of the upmost importance, even though at first glance it might seem to be putting a significant strain on budgets. The law says you must train your employees - and if necessary your contractors - but properly targeted training also pays for itself by helping to avert disasters large and small and by reducing the number of working days lost. Good health and safety is a hallmark of professionalism in the healthcare sector, but it has to be planned for and worked at, especially in today’s busy and challenging healthcare environment. Accept nothing less. L FURTHER INFORMATION For further information on RoSPA’s services for the health and social care sector, visit tinyurl.com/bk49249

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

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HEALTH Resized_Planner_Half_Page_Advert_125_x_178.Wilo_X3_2002_print BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 13.1 12 October 2012 13:13:52

CARBON REDUCTION

Energy

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

THE WEEK TO GO GREEN

As part of its response to climate change, numerous events and activities are being planned by the NHS for Climate Week, Britain’s biggest climate change campaign, from 4-10 March 2013 Climate change is one of the biggest threats to global public health that we currently face.

As a huge emitter of greenhouse gases, the health sector is crucial to cutting emissions both from its own estates and by highlighting the detrimental effects of carbon-intensive lifestyles on health and community well-being.

As part of its response to climate change, numerous events and activities are being planned by the NHS throughout the UK for Climate Week, Britain’s biggest climate change campaign, taking place from the 4-10 March 2013.

In March 2012, Climate Week saw over half a million people take part in over 3000 events with 2013 projected to be even bigger. Kevin Steele, chief executive of the Climate Week campaign, said that health sector staff and organisations would set a “powerful example” of what can be done to tackle climate change. He also commented that there was widespread recognition in the NHS that cutting greenhouse gas emissions was an effective means of saving money as well as helping to prevent climate change and create a sustainable future.

system for the NHS (www.nhsreuse.co.uk) where trusts can exchange equipment, and a new NHS Day of Sustainability Action (www.nhssustainabilityday.nhs.uk).

A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Sussex Community NHS trust is also making exemplary efforts to go green and combat climate change. The service looks after 9,500 patients a day in Brighton & Hove, covers an area of 800 square miles, and has 4,500 staff across over 70 sites. In July 2010 the Trust’s Board approved a five-year sustainability plan with the aim of slashing its carbon footprint by a quarter. Staff have been encouraged to take part in small

measures like switching off lights and sorting recyclable waste, alongside major infrastructure changes including a swap from oil to gas-fired condensing boilers. Targets have already been exceeded: since July 2011 the trust has increased its energy efficiency by a third, and increased its recycling by a third, with an absolute reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 1,086 tonnes. What’s more, £135,000 of operational costs have been saved at a time of great financial pressure.

Next on the list are high-efficiency lighting and hand-dryers as well as a green travel plan. E

GREEN WINNERS 2012 A number of NHS trusts are leading the way in their response to climate change.

The 2012 winner of the Climate Week ‘Best Initiative by a Public or Uniformed Service’ award, University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, has been driving forward the low-carbon agenda both within its own organisation and across the NHS more broadly. The starting point has been a new carbon management plan which in 2011 delivered a 14 per cent cut in the carbon footprint of UCLH and a six per cent drop in energy costs. At a local level 73 carbon champions were recruited and a Carbon Oscars ceremony was hosted.

On a national level the plethora of initiatives led by Trevor Payne, Director of Estates & Facilities at UCLH, and his team includes developing an NHS sustainability portal (www.bre.co.uk/sdhealth) with practical advice and case studies as well as space for suppliers to demonstrate sustainable technology.

They also created an eBay-style reuse

Volume 13.1 |

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Waterborne Infection Masterclass

The Dominion Theatre 268-269 Tottenham Court Road London W1T 7AQ

09:00 - 09:45 Registration and Coffee 09:45 - 10:00 Introduction from Chair - Mr Ken Ashley, Independent Consultant, Kenneth Ashley Consultancy Ltd 10:00 - 11:00 In the beginning there was Legionella - Dr Tom Makin, Independent Consultant, Makin & Makin Consultancy Ltd 11:00 - 11:30 Coffee 11:30 - 12:00 qPCR Technology and Experience - Ms Clare Reynolds, Deputy Head Biomedical Scientist, Princess Royal Hospital 12:00 - 12:30 Filtration Solutions - Dr Catherine Whapham, Global Water Portfolio Manager, Pall Medical 12:30 - 12:45 Questions 12:45 - 13:45 Lunch 13:45 - 14:30 Waterborne Infections in High Risk Areas - The Lessons Learned Dr Mike Weinbren, Consultant Microbiologist, University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire 14:30 - 15:00 NHS Technology Adoption Centre (NTAC) & the implementation of Innovative Technologies - Mr Lee Panter, Healthcare Business Manager, Inspira Health Solutions 15:00 - 15:30 Coffee 15:30 - 16:00 DH Guidance on Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Augmented Care Units - Dr Jimmy Walker, Principal Investigator, Decontamination & Biosafety, HPA Porton Down 16:00 - 16:15 Questions and close from chair Attendance and refreshmentsare free of charge for NHS staff and those in full time education.

Full information and registration forms on our website:www.specialistmasterclasses.com The seminars and catering are supported by educational grants from

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 13.1

London

7th March 2013

Medical

Who should attend?

We welcome any interested parties to these events. Spaces are usually limited so a quick response isappreciated.

Please contact us should you require further information.

In the meantime, we hope you and members of your team are able to attend our future events. See our website for information:

www.specialistmasterclasses.com

Conference Secretariat : e: info@specialistmasterclasses.com t: 00 44 (0)560 1292805

We have a number of forthcoming events in 2012/13 that may be of interest to you...

Save the dates! � �

Dublin - 7th February 2013 Bath - 18th April 2013

CARBON REDUCTION

Climate Week provides an opportunity to showcase any existing environmental initiatives that are already in place in your organisation  The work being done by UCLH and Sussex Community NHS Trust goes to show that meaningful and significant green ambitions can be realised even in tough economic times. Their work also demonstrates the Climate Week message particularly well: that a committed group of individuals and organisations can all be part of the solution to climate change.

GET INVOLVED There are several ways in which you and your organisation can get involved in Climate Week. For instance, Climate Week provides an excellent opportunity to showcase any existing environmental initiatives that are already in place in your organisation.

Running an event such as a workshop during Climate Week is an excellent way to do this.

Events and activities held during the week could also involve the promotion of increased energy efficiency or recycling measures; engaging staff on green issues or raising awareness throughout your organisation with softer internal communications such as posters. All of these measures are achievable and can have a significant impact.

Your workplace can also take part in a number of Climate Week’s pre-arranged activities which have proved particularly popular over the past few years.

The Climate Week Pub Quiz is a simple and fun way to engage staff with a classic pub quiz with a climate change twist The Climate Week Challenge is contested

in teams of 4-6 to address a given climate or sustainability problem. The Challenge is judged by celebrities and is free to take part in. The Climate Week Challenge in 2012 was Britain’s biggest ever environmental competition, with over 130,000 people participating in the one day and one‑hour versions. This year teams from schools, workplaces, and community groups will again be challenged to come up with creative solutions to a problem that is only revealed to participants during Climate Week.

Energy

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

THE AWARDS The Climate Week Awards recognise the most inspirational and impressive actions taking place in every sector of society. The judging panel contains figures such as Tony Juniper, Special Advisor to the Prince of Wales Charities International Sustainability Unit, the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson, and the Bishop of London. Winners from 2012 included Seawater Greenhouse, a project to make the desert bloom, the Ecoisland Project, a community initiative to turn the Isle of White into a self‑sustaining community; and the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s ’Too Good to Waste’ campaign, encouraging people to take leftover food home in doggy bags.

Climateap w Week S t s t h e h h i g h l i g impact positiveping items ap that sw ave on the can h nment enviro

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD The Eat Low Carbon Campaign challenges everyone to eat delicious food that costs less and is good for the environment. It is part of our low-carbon food campaign, encouraging people to make the food that they eat a part of the solution to climate change. They can do this by joining in the call to action of eating a low-carbon meal during Climate Week, either by using up leftovers to make Bubble and Squeak or by cooking food made from local and seasonal ingredients or less meat and dairy. Inspiration and ideas are being provided by a number of celebrity chefs including Hugh FearnleyWhittingstall, Angela Hartnett, and Levi Roots.

CLIMATE WEEK SWAP The Climate Week Swap is a new element to the campaign for 2013, highlighting the positive impact that swapping clothes, books, toys, DVDs and other items can have on our environment.

Run a swap event in your workplace, with your community group or at home and save resources from going to landfill. All those who register a swap event will be entered into a draw to win a swap with a celebrity. For further information on all of these activities and how you can involve your organisation in Climate Week, get in touch. L

FURTHER INFORMATION www.climateweek.com info@climateweek.com Tel: 020 3397 2601

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After years of constant use, the only thing growing in a Miele will be your confidence.

Miele Professional instrument washer-disinfectors provide outstanding infection prevention. And with their sophisticated engineering, they’ll repeat the results time after time – all to EN ISO 15883 standards.

They’re engineered to perform for years to come, meaning less downtime, longer replacement intervals and ultimately less cost.

Which is bad news for contamination but great news for your budget.

For years of perfect performance, it must be a Miele.

Call 0844 893 6937 or visit www.miele-professional.co.uk

HOSPITAL CLEANING

CONTROLLING INFECTION: A LICENCE TO CLEAN?

In today’s society to achieve the title ‘doctor’ or ‘nurse’ an individual is required to receive formal education and training to ensure they are competent in their roles.

The same expectations apply to almost every sector in today’s society, including the fast food industry; for example McDonalds have a range of nationally‑recognised qualifications available to their staff. However one industry in particular continues to remain largely unregulated – the cleaning industry.

Although it is often overlooked, without the cleaning industry we would face many issues including the spread of infection and diseases. The pharmaceutical industry has gone a long way over the years to establish drugs to fight infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis, but without the cleaning industry’s innovations and workforce to aid infection control we would not live in a society with clean water, clean hospitals and clean communities. With figures produced by The Health Protection Agency towards the end of last year reporting an 83 per cent increase in cases of norovirus on the same period in 2011, infection control is still a prevalent concern within our society.

With this in mind it may come as a surprise that some cleaning operatives who are on the frontline ensuring safe and clean hospitals and care facilities may not have received any accredited training on how to clean effectively and safely. As patients, we trust in the medical profession to ensure that all doctors and nurses have the relevant accredited training and experiences when treating patients. However it is often assumed that cleaning skills are common sense, thus accredited training is not deemed a necessity.

machinery and ride-on cleaning machines without accredited training resulting in injury and property damage; on more than one occasion there have been reports of operatives driving ride-on machines off train platforms onto the train tracks. However, in addition to specific training for the use of heavy duty machinery, it is essential that all cleaning operatives receive accredited training in skills such as chemical competence when preparing cleaning solutions to ensure health and safety while performing cleaning duties.

For the average household cleaning, the majority of us rely on shop brought cleaning materials, however for a cleaning operative often the chemicals will be purchased direct from a manufacturer in a concentrated form and are required to be diluted on site. Without accredited training a cleaning operative cannot be expected to know how to prepare chemicals in a safe manor to ensure the correct quantities and dilution are used. For the untrained operative they may not understand the health and safety consequences of using chemicals, for example they may believe that by using an extra dose of chemical while cleaning may allow for quicker cleaning or that there is a higher chance of removing germs and bacteria. However in reality, the operative may be causing long term health risks for themselves and the users of the building.

Furthermore, without initial accredited training a cleaning operative will not have been trained in how to clean effectively and

It is t all ial tha essent operatives d ng cleani ve accredite h as i rece n skills suc ce n gi trainin ical competeg chem en preparin wh utions sol

safely. For individuals outside of the industry who only think about cleaning at a weekend when it’s time to do the dreaded housework it may seem an obscure concept that individuals need accredited training on how to clean because after all we know how to clean our own homes right? In some ways this is true, but in fact it may be that while you are cleaning your own home you are spreading the dirt and bacteria as opposed to removing it.

Written by the British Institute of Cleaning Science

Figures produced by The Health Protection Agency towards the end of last year report an 83 per cent increase in cases of norovirus. With infection control a prevalent concern, it may come as a surprise that some cleaning operatives in hospitals and care facilities may not have received any accredited training on how to clean effectively and safely, writes the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc)

Infection Control

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

COLOUR CODING When dealing with a building with a large public access, such as a hospital where the risk factor is dramatically increased, it is essential that all cleaning operatives are trained to an accredited standard. Thus providing cleaning operatives with the essential knowledge and skills to allow them to implement colour coding and best practices such as ‘from clean to dirty’ to minimise the risk of cross-infection.

In essence to clean ‘from clean to dirty’ ensures that cleaning operatives always clean the cleanest area of the environment first, gradually working through to the solid areas of the environment. In essence you would never clean the toilet of a washroom and then continue to clean the hand basin before cleaning the floor and door handle as you would spread germs from the toilet to all of the other areas of the washroom. Within a high risk environment such as a hospital this is crucial that cleaning operatives clean ‘from clean to dirty’ to ensure there are minimal risks of cross infection. To illustrate, when entering a hospital ward individuals are typically asked to wash their hands to ensure they do not pass on any infections to patients within the ward, however if a cleaning operative cleaned the basin first before cleaning the rest of the ward this would increase the chance of the spread of an infection. E

TRAINING TO BE SAFE Since its establishment over 50 years ago, The British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICSc) has continued its campaign to raise awareness of the necessity of accredited training and standards for the cleaning industry. Over the years the Institute has heard of many stories of cleaning operatives being given heavy

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HOSPITAL CLEANING The BICSc colour code recommends the use of red materials for general washrooms and bathrooms, red and white materials for higher risk sanitary appliances, blue for general low risk areas, green for general food and bar use, yellow for clinical areas, and white for site-specific or specialist

 COLOUR CODES In addition to ensuring all cleaning operatives clean ‘from clean to dirty’, operatives are trained to use materials in accordance to the recommended colour code for materials and equipment. The BICSc colour code recommends the use of red materials for general washrooms and bathrooms, red and white materials for higher risk sanitary appliances, blue for general low risk areas, green for general food and bar use, yellow for clinical areas, and white for site specific or specialist. Through colour coding operatives will aid in the fight against cross infection by using the correct colour coded materials and equipment within the correct designated areas, thus protecting the patient, staff, the general public and themselves. However without the accredited training a cleaning operative may not be aware of the importance of the colour coding.

Last year BICSc introduced the first Licence to Practice for the cleaning industry, which ensures that a cleaning operative is competent in the necessary initial level skills to perform their role as a cleaning operative, including chemical competence and the safe use and storage of equipment and materials. To gain a Licence to Practice a cleaning operative must complete the three mandatory units of the CPSS qualification – Chemical Competence, Equipment Safe Use and Care, and Storage of Equipment and Materials. Through the Licence to Practice, we can begin to regulate what remains to be a largely unregulated industry. The Institute believes that every operative should have a Licence to Practice to ensure they are competent in their role and are compliant both with BICSc-accredited standards and health and safety requirements. L

CLINICAL Healthcare use

BEST PRACTICE FOR SANITARY APPLIANCES Any derivation of red or white

GENERAL WASHROOMS

GENERAL FOOD AND BAR USE Excluding commercial food preparation areas

GENERAL LOWER RISK AREAS

BESPOKE OR SITE-SPECIFIC

Infection Control

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

FURTHER INFORMATION To find out more information about BICSc training please visit www.bics.org.uk

Log6 – cleaning to Sterilisation level for all NHS organisations Do you find what you need when your organisation or trust has a virus outbreak? Such as the recent entire department closures to Norovirus. At Log6, we are linked to a National Database of service providers making use of a solution that carries on the fight against viruses and bacteria long after we leave your premises.

On call 24/7, in most cases a two hour response time is all we need to have a team on site. Backed up with enough formula solution to take the fight on to any virus.

Geared up with masks, respirators and Tyvek suits. We work around your patients and your requirements. A typical bedroom takes

around an hour to sterilise, but we don’t stop there. We demonstrate due diligence through before and after swabbing recording microbial life has been eliminated.

Quick computerised records fed back after outbreak to the responsible person enabling your services to continue. Are your ready for any outbreak? Bacteria free or free bad press? We are what you need.

FURTHER NFORMATION Tel: 01229 465366 Mobile: 07401531142 www.log6.co.uk

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Parking

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

ParkingEye – keeping a close eye on hospital car parks Hospital parking can be a complex, and sometimes contentious issue that is why ParkingEye is committed to providing the best possible solution, allowing for efficient use of all the car parking spaces and enhancing the patient/visitor experience.

Through its work with the NHS, ParkingEye has built up a strong understanding of the sensitivities of managing their car parks.

Using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to record all vehicles entering and exiting the car parks, comparisons can be made to any parking payments.

This fully automated enforcement service is operational 24/7. The great advantage being that it is a highly accurate process.

ParkingEye fully appreciates and understands the needs and concerns from both the client and customer perspective and works closely with clients to ensure that delivery of service meets their requirements and that their car parks are always managed in a caring and professional manner.

ParkingEye provide their system free of charge. Thereby installing ParkingEye’s ANPR system the current surplus from car parks will increase. Precious funds may be relocated to other parts of the business improving and maintaining facilities or into patient care the main priority for any hospital.

There are various ways to pay including cash/card at Pay & Display machines on site.

Motorists without cash can use simple phone

apps, or by telephoning/ texting ParkingEye’s Pay by Phone service – details can be found on the signage.

Charges may be topped up before exiting the car park if a stay has been prolonged.

Should a customer wish to challenge a Parking Charge Notice, ParkingEye has developed an industry leading appeals systems.

All appeals are dealt with by fully qualified members of appeals staff, usually within three working days.

ParkingEye are members of the British Parking Association (BPA) and are routinely audited by the BPA and DVLA. ParkingEye is fully compliant with the BPA Approved Operator Scheme and adhere to the BPA Charter for Hospital Parking.

Though the quality of its product, service delivery and system integrity, ParkingEye is the number one technical solutions parking operator in the industry.

FURTHER INFORMATION Contact andrea.woods@parkingeye.co.uk or telephone 01772 450 540.

Watching your car parks… … so you don’t have to ExpErts in HOspitAl CAr pArk MAnAgEMEnt Maximising your resources

H

For more information contact: Andrea Woods (Business Manager) Office: 01772 450 540 Email: andrea.woods@parkingeye.co.uk

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HOSPITAL PARKING

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

HOSPITAL PARKING: A SOFT TARGET?

Often the most effective way to do this is by charging for parking. This recognises a number of factors, namely the value of a car parking space, the needs of other users of the facility, the environmental impact of driving and the need to maintain and improve car parks by reinvesting income.

Parking at hospitals and healthcare services is always going to be a soft target for the media to tell sensational stories about how the National Health Service can do no right. Healthcare and parking as individual issues are emotive and inflame passions with most people holding a strong opinion. Taken in combination they provide ample opportunity for populist headlines.

As we have seen in Scotland and Wales, free parking has consequences: it is now virtually impossible for visitors and patients to find somewhere to park. This is because commuters and non-hospital users take all the spaces very early in the day and remain all day.

The big difference between parking at hospitals and other healthcare facilities and parking for business and leisure is that often there is little choice. Few people choose to go to hospital and even fewer have a choice of which hospital. These are facilities

used most when we are unwell or seeking medical advice or obtaining treatment for long-term conditions. At best we are visiting someone who is unwell.

The BPA strongly believe in raising standards in the parking sector and in delivering a more professional service to the public.

Providing, managing and paying for parking at healthcare facilities needs to be seen in the context of delivering a better and fairer service to those who use such facilities.

Written by Dave Smith, British Parking Association

Many people who attend healthcare facilities, either as patients or visitors, expect car parking to be free. But given the sheer number of people who use these types of facilities, the costs involved and the demand for spaces, it is clear that there is a real need for car parking to be managed properly, says Dave Smith of the British Parking Association

providing a high standard of customer care.

Free parking at hospitals is the norm in Wales and Scotland as governments seemingly pander to the popular demand.

Increasingly there is a demand for England to follow suit.

None of this is without consequences and it is only too apparent in Scotland and Wales that there is no such thing as a free parking space. Someone is paying for it. The BPA do not feel that it is right that dwindling healthcare budgets should be used to provide parking facilities for those who choose to drive to hospital whilst there are those who arrive by public transport and continue to pay. We strongly believe that healthcare budgets be used to provide health care.

In 2010, the British Parking Association first published its Healthcare Parking Charter, aiming to strike the right balance between being fair to patients and others, including staff, and making sure that facilities are managed effectively for the good of everyone. Now 

k “...Pa®r is Mark parking ed to e awardties that hav nts i facil requireme t n e met th sk assessmee of a ri ucted by th cond lice...”

Po

PROFESSIONALISM Both those that manage healthcare facilities and car park operators recognise the importance of car parking policy, both in terms of the wider transport strategy and the need to manage traffic and parking in line with demand and environmental needs.

They also recognise the importance of professionalism in delivering their services and

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Delivering parking solutions for the healthcare sector We understand the continued challenges facing public bodies: • Capital constraints for new build programmes • Limited / reduced estate budgets • Prohibitive costs of investing in new technology outside your core business.

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Through long term partnerships it is possible for us to deliver: • Parking estate refurbishment • New build multi-storey car parks (MSCPs) • Improved green credentials • Improved operational and cost efficiencies • An overall improved customer experience through the use of technology.

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arking Problems Cured Traffic Flow Solutions for your Hospital Car Park Primary objectives for estates staff is PATIENT SAFETY. MGS Ltd. have developed and produced our Medical Gas Isolation Kits to enable safe shutdowns of wards and departments and single terminal unit isolation.

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 13.1

The Office Suite, Unit 14 Harp Business Centre, Queensway, Rochdale Lancashire. OL11 2QQ Tel: 0800 048 1616 E-mail: info@medicalgasservices.net www.medicalgasservices.net

HOSPITAL PARKING  nearly three years on, the BPA has revisited the Charter and with the help of those working in both the parking and healthcare sectors, has republished its guidance.

Like so many other places the demand for parking spaces at hospitals exceeds the supply and therefore it needs to be rationed and managed. Parking charges can help to pay for maintenance and management services, and prevent these from becoming a drain on healthcare budgets. We therefore encourage healthcare facilities and those that manage parking at these facilities to sign up to our Charter and to abide by its letter and spirit.

ADVANCED OPERATOR SCHEME Companies who wish to become a member of the BPA and who undertake any kind of parking management on private land must join the Approved Operator Scheme (AOS) and sign up to its Code of Practice; otherwise, membership of the BPA is not possible.

The AOS is intended for those companies and businesses that operate parking enforcement services on private land and unregulated public car parks which may include car parks at healthcare facilities. NHS Trusts and healthcare providers that provide public parking are encouraged to employ only companies that are members of the BPA’s AOS to manage their parking. This ensures high standards, plus fair and reasonable enforcement, and should mitigate the number of complaints of poor parking management.

AOS members are required to comply with the Code of Practice and are subject to a stringent compliance audit upon joining and then once annually. In addition, we operate a complaints and sanctions scheme and members that do not comply with the terms of the Code can have sanctions applied and are liable to have their membership suspended or terminated.

There are around 160 members in the Scheme and a list of current members can be found on the BPA website at tinyurl.com/ap8hyak.

Where, for example a Trust of healthcare provider contracts out parking enforcement on private land, that third party will be required to become a member of the AOS, in order to gain access to DVLA vehicle keeper data.

The BPA is an accredited trade association (ATA) recognised by the DVLA. The law says that our members are allowed to ask the DVLA for the registered keeper’s details if they can show ‘reasonable cause’. The DVLA accepts that breaking the terms and conditions of a car park or private land is a reasonable cause.

KEEPER LIABILITY On October 1st 2012, The Protection of Freedoms Act introduced the concept of ‘keeper liability’ for vehicles parked on private land. However, for this, there had to be an independent appeals service, provided by funding from the parking sector. That independent service is known as Parking on Private Land Appeals or POPLA.

About the BPA Car parking operators who are members of the BPA’s Approved Operator Scheme, will be bound by the decision of an independent adjudicator who will review evidence submitted by both the motorist and the operator and determine whether the charge should stand or not.

Car parks managed by operators who are not members of an Accredited Trade Association will not be covered by the IAS. However, if the appeal adjudicator finds in favour of the parking operator, no early payment discounts will apply.

POPLA is free to the motorist and its decision will be binding on the operator. However, you can only use the appeal service if you live in England or Wales, and the parking ticket was for a car parked on private land in England or Wales. This service does not cover Scotland or Northern Ireland.

The BPA also manages the Safer Parking Scheme, and many of our members operate car parks accredited with the Safer Parking Scheme award – the Park Mark®.

Reducing crime and the fear of crime is key initiative of the BPA and the Safer Parking Scheme does just that. It is owned by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), but operated and managed by the BPA on their behalf; all UK Government’s recognise the benefits of the Scheme.

Parking

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

The BPA is a non-for-profit membership association representing over 700 organisations from across the entire parking and traffic management sector, including local authorities, manufacturers, car park operators, health authorities, universities, airports, railways, shopping centres, bailiffs, construction companies, learning providers and consultants.

To sign up to the BPA’s Charter for Hospital Parking visit tinyurl.com/ad3aelk with parking operators and service providers to share knowledge and experience. It became very clear to me at a recent meeting of this group that there are some serious challenges and yet also some simple solutions. If only people knew about them. There is best practice ‘out there’.

The next meeting of the BPA’s Healthcare Special Interest Group takes place on 28th March at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

For further information visit tinyurl.com/bj2jctv In our role to raise standards, nowhere is this more apparent than in the healthcare environment. Balancing the needs of hospital patients and visitors, staff and healthcare professionals to ensure that access to health care is fair, and cost‑effective,

Now nearly three years on, the BPA has revisited the Charter and with the help of those working in both the parking and healthcare sectors, has republished its guidance PARK MARK Safer parking status, or Park Mark® as it is known by the public, is awarded to parking facilities that have met the requirements of a risk assessment conducted by the Police. These requirements mean the parking operator has put in place measures that help to deter criminal activity and anti-social behaviour, thereby doing everything they can to prevent crime and reduce the fear of crime in their parking facility.

For customers, using a Park Mark® Safer Parking facility means that the area has been vetted by the Police and has measures in place to create a safe environment.

Through the planning processes, our aim is for all new car parks to be required to achieve a Park Mark® award.

The BPA would like to see wider public awareness of Park Mark® and are asking Government, police organisations and other agencies involved in the regeneration and creation of safer communities and to become more proactive in promoting the benefits of the Scheme. Better promotion and public awareness will increase its popularity.

In support of this work we have initiated a Health Care Parking Special Interest Group, which brings together people in NHS facilities,

requires courage and determination.

Parking managers at healthcare sites across the UK face these challenges every day.

Working alone they seek to resolve their problems locally, often challenged by local media and indeed, their own colleagues.

Working together through the BPA Health Care Parking SIG we can collectively share knowledge and best practice, as well as campaign for better recognition of the services provided and the need for them to be properly funded.

The NHS depends upon the parking sector to help ensure that access to its facilities is fair and appropriate, properly managed and adequately funded. The BPA’s Hospital Parking Charter sets out the importance of offering a high standard of management and customer service, reflecting the needs of all car park users including patients, visitors and staff and with proper and adequate access controls and fair and reasonable enforcement where this is required. L FURTHER INFORMATION For further information on RoSPA’s services for the health and social care sector, visit tinyurl.com/bk49249

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The DSDM Agile Project Framework from the DSDM Consortium The DSDM Agile Project Framework is a robust, self-contained approach to Agile Project Management and solution delivery.

Focusing on strategic goals and incremental delivery of real business benefits while keeping control of time, cost, risk and quality, it helps deliver results quickly and effectively.

Find out more at www.dsdm.org Email us at info@dsdm.org Call us on +44 (0)1233 611162

速

Workflow Dynamics – working with the health Sector on car parking

Car park management for the hospital sector is an important part of the running of the facility ensuring that staff, visitors and patients are catered for with empathy. It’s vital to ensure that those that legitimately need to park are able to, and those unauthorised users are monitored and penalised accordingly.

Workflow Dynamics offers an all-round solution for the operator; using web enabled software to offer online permit applications allowing the client to set-out clear modules for different permit types with the option of printing and mailing.

Enforcement of unauthorised vehicles by using PDAs to

issue tickets and in real time transferring data to the back office allowing commencement of the next stage of the enforcement process.

As a member of the Approved Operator Scheme we adhere to the professional standards set out by them and are able to offer full site surveys to ensure that signage is compliant, as well as all paper work issued.

This also allows us to obtain data from DVLA and if necessary progress to the POPLA stage.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01604 696800 admin@workflowdynamic.com www.workflowdynamic.com

Stress free parking for patients, visitors and staff

As parking management experts with 24 years’ experience, G24 has the knowledge and services to deliver excellent parking facilities on site at any healthcare facility.

G24’s Pay and Display ticket machines let people pay by cash, card or via their mobile, removing the stress of finding the exact change. G24 can offer a web based SmartPark Solution that is designed to allow the healthcare facility to solve its own unique parking problems, taking away the need to manually issue tickets to the vehicles windscreen.

Simply take photographs of vehicles breaching the

terms and conditions, upload to G24’s website and leave the rest to G24.

The company also provides many other bespoke services for healthcare facilities, including ANPR, bay monitoring sensors, electronic messaging signs, attendant patrols etc.

Offering expert advice in parking within healthcare with no obligation, speak to G24 by phone on 0870 0427215 or visit the website via the address below.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0870 0427215 www.g24.co.uk

New parking solution for the NHS from Fast Park

Project Centre helps make the best of your parking

Fast Park Group has been providing unique parking solutions to NHS, commercial and retail clients internationally for more than 20 years.

The company provides a turnkey solution; from design through to planning approval, project management, installation and final certification.

Fast Park® is a modular parking system that can be demounted, altered in size and shape or left in-situ. With no traditional foundations, it can be completely relocated with no disruption to the current parking footprint or left as a permanent parking structure.

Fast Park® is supplied and installed within a few weeks from final design approval, causing minimal disruption to existing parking requirements.

As of July 2012, Fast Park Systems UK Branch is able to offer its clients the option of

Project Centre has considerable experience in delivering a wide range of parking projects, and can help you provide and manage your parking to maximise efficiency and balance the varying demands for short and long stay parking.

The company works on a wide range of projects, including parking activity surveys, design, consultation and implementation of new parking schemes. It also designs on street and car park layouts to be both safe and operationally sound in order that emergency and servicing vehicles can operate alongside parking.

Project Centre is aware of how important it is to manage parking efficiently, and is able to assist clients identify the most appropriate parking management options whether it be Pay and Display, Pay on Exit, Automatic Number Plate Recognition or Pay by Phone. Industry contacts ensure that Project Centre is able

leasing parking decks through its NHS approved financial service provider. This essentially means that we are able to solve parking problems within a short period of time, with minimal disruption or loss of capacity – and it can pay for itself from day one.

For more information on the Fast Park® system or projects undertaken on behalf of the NHS, please visit www.fastpark.com FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 7631 2061 fastparkUK@fastpark.com www.fastpark.com

Parking

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

to specify the most appropriate parking management.

Long standing working relationships with signs and lining contractors allow Project Centre to specify, procure and manage implementation of parking schemes.

Please contact Simon Young, Parking Projects Manager, to discuss how Project Centre can help you optimise your parking resource.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 07833 331804 simon.young@ projectcentre.co.uk www.projectcentre.co.uk

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Specialist flooring contractors to Local Authorities, schools, hospital and commercial companies. Supply and installation of heavy duty vinyl flooring, carpeting and entrance mat systems fitted by qualified personnel. Owned by third generation management.

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• Business and Management Topics: Business Process Analysis, Management Theory, Motivation and Leadership, Negotiation, Performance and Talent Management etc.

Many of our courses are accredited by the Institute of Supply Chain Management and we are an approved centre for delivery of IoSCM certificate and diploma programmes.

CP Training Services Ltd PO Box 28, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 1RA 020 7193 8976 enquiries@cp-t.com www.cp-training-consortium.co.uk

FLOORING

A SENSE OF PLACE FOR ALZHEIMER PATIENTS

Design & Build: Flooring

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Using the correct flooring helps people with dementia recognise a particular environment and the activity that takes place there, as well as areas to avoid, according to a new guide, Designing Alzheimer’s Facilities With the UK population increasingly living longer, dementia is a major public healthcare priority and now a new guide has been produced to help designers and architects create the best possible interior environment for sufferers.

The guide, Designing Alzheimer’s Facilities, has been produced by flooring experts Tarkett working in collaboration with recognised specialists in various related fields from across Europe. It gives an overview to understanding the condition and provides ideas to consider when planning interior spaces for use by those affected, such as hospitals and care homes.

John Devine, UK Sales Director for Tarkett said: “Dementia, and in particular Alzheimer’s disease, has become a public health policy priority for a large number of European countries. Given current projections, it will be a major challenge to develop specialised facilities fitted with the appropriate interior design and flooring for patients with this disease.

“While suitable medical treatment may be central to the quality of care, a comfortable environment is also closely linked to the wellbeing of those with the condition.”

A STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT It has long been known that a stimulating environment is best for people and, as a

“Floor design can help people slow down, to concentrate, to orientate themselves, to have fun or to move more freely.”

medical environment experts, Tarkett has recognised the contribution its specific expertise can make.

The guide is essential as the need for facilities grows. According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, by 2030, 65.7million people are likely to be suffering with Alzheimer’s or Alzheimer’s related problems.

Professor Schricker, vice-president of the Union of German Architects and Designers, was one of the experts who helped Tarkett produce the guide and drew attention to the use of sensory and functional design in medical environments.

Professor Schricker said: “The aesthetics of floors enter into an emotional relationship with people. Identification and curiosity are life prolonging and activating factors for ill people living in a healing environment.

A SENSE OF EASE Using the correct flooring helps people with dementia recognise a particular environment and the activity that takes place there, as well as areas to avoid.

The guide suggests the different flooring and lighting to use in different areas to aid memory and calm patients.

In total six typical areas that shape the smooth running of an Alzheimer’s facility and the orientation of patients through the facility are identified and analysed.

As well as flooring, the guide covers lighting and room layout in communal, reception, walkways and treatment areas and is the first in a series of guides produced by Tarkett to aid professional designers and architects.

Professor Schricker said: ”Tarkett’s design team shows how intentionally choosing specific flooring can change the influence of the interior space for people. In the sensitive area of providing care for people suffering from Alzheimer’s, flooring can have a remarkable psychological and social effect.” L FURTHER INFORMATION www.tarkett.co.uk

Help is at hand from the Contract Flooring Association There is a lot to consider when selecting flooring for a healthcare environment. It has to be safe, durable, cost-effective, attractive and easy to maintain. As well as heavy footfall, wheelchairs, beds and heavy machinery are pushed around on a daily basis.

What’s more, the floor must be easy to clean in order to prevent infection from spreading.

For help when selecting the right type of flooring for the environment, and the right company to install it, healthcare establishments should contact the Contract Flooring Association (CFA).

Flooring is an important part of most contracts these days and

with more products to choose from than ever before getting the right advice has never been more important. Specifiers and main contractors need quality of service, installation and support information CFA members can provide. Consequently many public and private organisations and an increasing number of local authorities are now specifying that CFA members must be used.

The CFA provides members and their clients with a wealth of advice to assist with installation including British Standard Codes of Practice; health and safety; insurance; technical standards; and training.

When choosing a company to install a floor, specifiers need to know that

they can rely on the sub-contractor to meet the required specification and not cause them problems. A CFA branded contractor delivers this promise, and in the unlikely event of a problem, they can draw on a wealth of experience to resolve it.

Members of the Association include contractors, manufacturers, distributors and consultants, both large and small, operating from locations throughout the UK. The Association produces a directory of members for architects, specifiers, main contractors and their clients. This information is also available from the directory section of its website.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.cfa.org.uk

Volume 13.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

The Paperless NHS – Starting in the Boardroom According to Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, the NHS should go paperless by 2018 to save billions, improve services and help meet the challenges of an ageing population. The implementation of ‘Paperless NHS’ is being led by the NHS Commissioning Board who have set a clear expectation that hospitals should plan to make information digitally and securely available by 2014/15.

As a public service, and a patient focussed organisation, it is appropriate that the emphasis of the ‘Paperless NHS’ campaign has been on using digital technologies to deliver more efficient care through improved access to patient records. However, we should not forget the board, which make clinical and operational decisions from behind 200 page paper board packs; they have an opportunity to lead the way in becoming paperless by adopting technology within their boardrooms.

This technology is already here, in the form of electronic board meeting software, and has been adopted by forward thinking Health Trusts such as Luton and Dunstable Hospital (The L&D). The use of board portal software

at The L&D has allowed board members to access meeting papers via the iPad, and ensures that they have the most up-to-date documents whilst on the move. Additionally, The L&D are using decision making software.

The efficiency of the board at The L&D has greatly increased, with the iPad providing access to all their governance documentation. They can search for relevant information, and they can quickly find supporting material, which in turn helps them to make better decisions.

The use of a board portal doesn’t just benefit board members, but also the secretariat team, as the hours spent printing, photocopying, assembling and couriering board packs are significantly reduced. At The L&D the board portal solution has been extended to the whole executive team, including general managers, so that more meetings can be covered by the no-paper rule.

By utilising this software, the board is saving thousands of pages of paper every meeting and are reaping the rewards of reduced costs and improved effectiveness.

Trust Board Secretary at The L&D, Victoria Parsons, stated that they “are not only saving £104,000 per annum but are a lot more efficient in meetings too.”

Jeremy Hunt said: “The NHS cannot be the last man standing as the rest of the economy embraces the technology revolution.”

Don’t let your boardroom get left behind.

FOR MORE INFORMATION Tel: 0845 200 7829 Marketing@eShareUK.com www.boardpacks.com

BoardPacks

Making Paperless Boardrooms a Reality

“BoardPacks supports every aspect of our meeting management."

Barbara Suggitt, Hertfordshire Partnership NHS FT

+44 (0) 845 200 7829

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www.eShare.co.uk/PaperlessNHS

JJ Hennebry’s proven track Lancashire Flooring – record in healthcare flooring making every footstep Whether it is in a safer and more affordable hospital ward, or a neighbourhood GPs surgery, a new floor is an important long term investment.

Not only must it withstand the rigours of heavy footfalls - and traffic in stretchers and medical equipment - it also needs to be compliant with the needs of an effective infection control regime and demanding safety standards.

Established over 40 years ago as a traditional family firm, JJ Hennebry’s & Sons are flooring contractors adhering to the highest standards of professionalism and craftsmanship. With an extensive track record in a variety of healthcare projects (as well as installations in a wide variety of other public sector environments), the company is accustomed to taking care of all client needs from start to finish, from assisting

Design & Build: Flooring

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

FLOORING LTD

with specifications and product selection, to sub-floor preparation and a full floor fitting service.

The many brands JJ Hennebry’s has expertise in include Gerflor, Uzin, Tarkett and Kahrs, and the company is accredited to Safe T Cert, CEF and Construction Line (amongst others). From its base in Belfast, it has completed installations all over the UK and Ireland.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 028 9066 7997 Fax: 028 9066 4161 info@jjhennebry.com www.jjhennebry.com

Established in 1949, Lancashire Flooring is a leader in the design, installation and after sales of all flooring types, and has been supplying and fitting new floors for over 60 years.

The company’s business model is simple - to set new standards in the industry, working in a smarter and more efficient way to exceed the customers expectations of a flooring service.

Registered with the Contract Flooring Association, Safe Contractor, The Guild of Master Craftsman and Construction line, Lanacashire Flooring is fully qualified to carry out all types of installation, and specialises in commercial flooring – from

impervious carpets to rubber and vinyl safety floors in care homes, consultation rooms and surgical theatres.

The company supplies all major flooring manufacturers’ materials and accessories at highly competitive prices, and supplies and fits materials some can even inhibit and kill MRSA, E.Coli and the Norovirus.

Estimates are free and you might be surprised at Lancashire Flooring’s cost effective solutions.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0203 225 5050 sales@lancashireflooring.co.uk www.lancashireflooring.co.uk

LGM – for quality flooring and interiors

Calton Floors Ltd builds trusted client relationships

LGM Limited has over 60 years’ experience in the supply and installation of all types of floor coverings, soft furnishings & upholstery to a nationwide client base including education, healthcare, prisons, hospitality and retail.

Its sister company, LGM Interiors, offers redecoration, partitioning and commercial refurbishments. Its comprehensive range of products enables the company to offer a one-stop shop for buyers.

LGM is built upon core values of investing in people and offering exceptional service to its customers.

The company works nationwide and has the capability to deliver projects ranging from reactive repairs to large refurbishments upto £0.25m. Its staff are CRB checked and experienced in working in schools, hospitals and care homes. Public sector customers also include HM Prisons, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Skills Funding

Calton Floors supplies and fits a wide range of floor coverings including carpets, carpet tiles, vinyl, lino (sheet or tiles) slip resistant safety floors, Stair Nosings and antistatic conductive flooring.

The company also prepares subfloors prior to installation.

Calton Floors was established in 1987 and has over 57 years experience. Throughout the years, the company has worked hard to build up trusting relationships within various organisations throughout the Lothians, Forth Valley and Fife. Clients include Health Boards, Hospitals & Health Centres, Housing Associations and Elderly Homes, Local

Agency. LGM is CHAS and Safe Contractor registered and ISO9001 accredited.

LGM has a proven track record fulfilling a wide range of clients briefs. It is experienced in working in live environments, to tight deadlines, whilst delivering high quality installations adhering to clients specifications.

Commitment to its customers, flexibility in approach and the positive difference the company makes for its clients are the keys to LGM’s success.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01562 823700 sales@lgm-ltd.co.uk www.lgm-ltd.co.uk

Authorities & Council Buildings, Schools and Community Centres, Clean Room Environments, Commercial and Private Offices, Food Servery & Canteen Areas, Dental Surgeries, Digital Facilities & Factories and Banks.

Health and Safety is top priority, and HAI and HEI Scribe measures are put in place when working within certain areas.

The company has full public liability insurance, is a member of Construction Line and the Contract Flooring Association.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01506 434 700 Fax: 01506 441 201 www.caltonfloors.com

Volume 13.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Outsourced

Communications Services EWA is a specialist outsourced communications service provider, working in three core areas of direct communications – Strategy & Insight, Technology and Delivery.

We have in excess of 20 years experience in providing public sector organisations with cost effective, stakeholder communications.

Our services include: Contact Centres Database Management Channel Shift & Integration Customer Insight Print & Fulfilment

For more information on EWA, its outsourced services and how we

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HIS Contracts – 30 years in commercial flooring In these difficult economic times it is not always possible to find reliable well established customer focused companies in the service industry.

HIS Contracts has been around for 30 years, providing floor coverings in the commercial sector. The business has been built up by providing a quality service at competitive rates, all with an attention to detail.

Field of operation includes the supply and installation of vinyl, linoleum, carpets, carpet tiles, rubber and matting products.

Specialist items for the healthcare market are coved and set in skirting details, protein free smoothing underlayments and low emission adhesives.

Recent developments in resilient flooring include PUR coatings in slip resistant vinyl enabling easier maintenance and resultant enhanced appearance retention.

HIS Contracts are members of the Contract Flooring Association, Constructionline and Safecontractor.

As well as larger projects, a

significant proportion of works carried out are for repairs and maintenance. It is not always easy to find companies prepared to come out and deal with smaller jobs.

There is never any charge for good advice.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0207 739 1455 Fax: 0207 729 9438 info@hiscontracts.co.uk www.hiscontracts.co.uk

Wernick Miracle Hospital A two-storey, 2000 square metre floor area, 44 bed isolation ward completed in the miracle time of 26 weeks is up and running at Warwick Hospital. Commissioned by the local NHS Trust through Holbrow Brookes Construction Consultants, the tender was won by Wernick Buildings on price and the ability to deliver the modular building to an exceptionally tight deadline.

Only Wernick was able to guarantee that the stipulated completion date would be met.

With the Swine Flu pandemic in mind, the 72-bay, £3.4m modular building is equipped throughout as an infection control isolation wing with all the fittings that this type of ward requires, such as passive infra-red (PIR) controlled lighting, taps and air-tight door operation. All ward areas are also equipped with medical gases, wet system central heating, comfort cooling, and supply and extract filtered ventilation.

In addition, the mechanical

systems in the modular building are controlled by a state-ofthe-art computerised building management computer. Two large bed lifts between the floors were also included in the design.

The estates manager at Warwick Hospital commented: “My colleagues and I were very impressed at the speed and build quality achieved on this complex project within the confines of a working hospital. Modular building ticks all the right boxes as far as we are concerned”.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0800 18 18 22 enquiries@wernick.co.uk

Newcastle Flooring – specialists in healthcare

McManus – providing an expert flooring service

Newcastle Flooring Company is a family run business established in 1979. Over the last 30 years, it has been providing its customers with excellent flooring services across the north east of England and further afield.

Newcastle Flooring Company provides a complete service including design, fitting and excellent after sales. The company has undertaken a huge number of commercial, industrial and domestic projects and its experienced and highly trained team provides an efficient and top quality service.

Newcastle Flooring Company specialises in all aspects of flooring within the health care sector - from vinyls and carpets to vinyl wall and ceiling cladding. The company has completed work successfully for all the north east healthcare trusts from design to completion.

McManus Flooring is a specialist commercial flooring operation based in the West Midlands.

The company was formed in 1985 by Gerald McManus, who still heads the team.

Since formation, McManus Flooring has worked within the health sector, providing an expert service to hospitals, medical centres and nursing homes.

The company is a member of the Contract Flooring Association and prides itself on the quality of their flooring installations. An excellent health and safety record is reinforced

by Constructionline and CHAS membership. Gerald commented: “We have worked repeatedly for the same health sector clients over the past 28 years which is testament to the fact that our quality of workmanship, competitive prices and personal service are second to none”.

It is able to complete works to timescale and budget and provide an out of hours service with free estimates and advice.

The company prides itself on our personal and honest service leaving no job unfinished and providing customers with the best service possible. This is reflected in the fact that many customers have been with the company for some time, and much of its work comes through word of mouth.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0191 2659673 Fax: 0191 2240091 info@newcastleflooringltd.co.uk www.newcastleflooringltd.co.uk

Design & Build: Flooring

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

With an extensive knowledge of products suitable for healthcare environments, McManus Flooring can advise on floor coverings that best adhere to individual specification and budgetary requirements. The team is used to working within live demanding environments typical of the health sector, with many installations undertaken out of normal working hours to ensure as little disruption as possible.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01902 798745 Mobile: 07831 402043 mcmanusflooring@aol.com www.mcmanusflooring.co.uk

Volume 13.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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MPP Group incorporating Nursing Personnel, MPP Locums and Finance Recruitment are an approved agency under the GPS-Buying Solutions Framework Agreements and Health Trust Europe Framework agreements including the London Procurement Programme (LPP).

As an approved agency under the above framework agreements we have 12 years’ experience in supplying to the NHS: • Nurses • Operating Theatre Staff • Healthcare Assistants • Locums • AHPs • NHS Finance Managers • NHS Finance Directors • NHS Finance Contractors • NHS Project Manages and Corporate Governance staff Medical Professional Personnel can also offer some of the most competitive prices in the agency market without compromising on quality or service. We have just recently been awarded a platinum rating, the highest achievable for quality and compliance by independent and external auditors. Medical Professional Personnel are one of a few agencies in the UK partnered by NHS Professionals under the new NHSP Agency Partnership Programme.

Medical Professional Personnel Ltd can also offer managed bank services utilising some of the most advanced staffing management software and technology. Just some of our software functionality incorporates: • Web Electronic Staff Rostering • Web Staff Bank Management Systems • Web Agency Management Systems • Web Electronic Time Sheet and Authorisation.

• Electronic Invoicing and Payroll • iPhone, Blackberry and Android apps to view and manage bookings with mobile devices.

For more information contact us on 0845 122 0414 or www.nursing-personnel.co.uk

Hillside – specialists in commercial flooring

The Flooring Co – meeting the highest standards

Hillside Contracts has been installing all types of flooring (vinyl, rubber, carpet, carpet tiles etc) for over 15 years and has 40 directly employed specialist fitters. All employees hold CSCS cards, and a minimum NVQ Level 2 Qualification.

Approximately 90 per cent of the 5.4 million turnover is carried out via main contractors, the vast majority of which is repeat business. The size of contracts undertaken range from small repairs to £650,000 packages, with clients including schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, local authorities, main building contractors and end users.

Hillside prides itself on providing an excellent service from quotation through to completed installation, whilst a computerised estimating and digitising system is used to enable a quick turnaround of tenders.

As well as specialists in commercial flooring, Hillside is also an approved Premier

The Flooring Co is a well established firm of flooring suppliers and contractors, with over 20 years of experience in the commercial field.

We are a member of The Contract Flooring Association, registered with CHAS, Constructionline, Altius and ISO 9001 approved.

With a wealth of knowledge and experience pertaining to all aspects of flooring, we can supply, fit and maintain all types such as Altro, Polyflor, Amtico, Gradus, linoleum, vinyls, carpet tiles, solid/engineered wood and many more. In addition to Altro Safety Flooring, the company is an approved installer of Altro Whiterock and can supply and install various types of hygienic wall cladding systems.

Over the years, The Flooring Co has been maintained as an individual firm of professional flooring experts with qualified fitters and an emphasis on

Installer of Altro Whiterock Wall Cladding. It has received awards for the high quality of its installations from companies such as Altro, and works closely with major manufacturers - Hillside is an approved installer of Nuway Matting.

The company employs a full time IOSH qualified health and safety manager and the services of an external health & safety management company.

It is approved by CHAS and Constructionline and a member of the Contract Flooring Association.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01162 752266 Fax: 01162 752277 info@hillsidecontracts.co.uk www.hillsidecontracts.co.uk

Design & Build: Flooring

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

attention to detail, striving for personal customer service and after care whilst maintaining a competitive price. Working processes ensure that the company meets the highest of standards at all times.

The Flooring Co has been working within the healthcare sector for many years and has completed works in numerous major hospitals. The latest project is a £300K installation for Spire Healthcare and a £60K project at Kings College Hospital, London.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 8462 4050 info@flooringco.uk www.flooringco.co.uk

SD Flooring’s flexible Paragon – flooring specialists approach meets client needs with healthcare experience

SD Flooring has been working in the contract flooring industry for over 10 years. In that time, the company has built up a valuable portfolio of clients including many within the health sector.

In the past the company has undertaken a range of projects for healthcare clients, from small repairs to large scale refurbishments.

Other clients have included schools, universities, local councils, offices and housing groups, with many of these providing repeat business and long term contracts. Based in the south east of England, it is ideally located to provide services to Kent, Greater London and the south east and frequently takes on jobs further afield.

SD Flooring is experienced in

the supply and installation of all types of flooring including carpet, vinyl, and safety flooring.

A flexible approach enables the company to work to tight deadlines, adhere to budgetary requirements and provide an out of hours service when required.

The company has a dedicated team of experienced fitters, all of whom hold CSCS cards and undergoes health and safety courses with all other employees.

In addition to this, SD Flooring is CHAS, Constructionline and safecontractor approved and is also a members of the Contract Flooring Association.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01634 718987 Fax: 01634 712561 contact@sdflooringltd.co.uk

Paragon Contracts was established over 30 years ago and has built an exceptional reputation in supplying installations in the commercial field as well as the private sector.

The company is a member of The Contract Flooring Association, and has a vast knowledge in all aspects of flooring including carpet tiles, linoleum, vinyls, solid/engineered wood and many more. Paragon supplies flooring from all the main manufacturers including Altro, Polyflor, Amtico, Gradus. As long established members of the Contract Flooring Association, the company adheres to the CFA’s stringent Code of Conduct.

Over the years Paragon Contracts has grown into a firm of professional flooring experts with qualified fitters and an emphasis on attention to detail. This enables it to provide complete installations at very competitive prices. Paragon has been working within the healthcare sector for many years, providing complete hygienic

solutions for flooring and wall coverings, and has completed installations in NHS hospitals including St Georges Hospital in London, Princess Royal Hospital, and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. It has many satisfied clients in the education and local government sectors.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 0208 651 0941 les@paragonflooring.co.uk tony@paragonflooring.co.uk peter@paragonflooring.co.uk

Volume 13.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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Advertisement Feature

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PRINTING

LOOKING TO CUT PRINT COSTS? STAY CLEAR OF CHEAP COMPATIBLE CONSUMABLES

Graham Lowes, marketing director, OKI Systems UK discusses why compatible consumables are not the answer to reducing print spend, especially when health organisations can achieve better value and drive efficiencies by adopting smarter printing practices Over the last few years, public spending cuts have affected a range of departments, even in supposedly protected areas such as health. Moving into 2013, there will be no let up as George Osborne recently admitted that austerity in Britain will continue until at least 2018, with additional public sector spending cuts and tax rises ahead.

With many health organisations already struggling to cut spending, there is a need to further reduce costs and streamline operations. As a result, it is not surprising that there is a temptation to purchase cheaper print consumables rather than those from the original manufacturer, which in most cases can be more expensive.

However, the answer to cutting print costs isn’t compatible consumables. While non‑genuine consumables in the form of toner cartridges and other imaging supplies may seem like a good idea at first, buying poor quality substitutes can negatively affect a printer’s performance, may adversely affect the manufacturer’s warranty and lower print quality, which is not cost effective in the long run.

An alternative solution is to adopt smarter printing practices, processes that will streamline operations and ultimately reduce print costs. To ensure that the best practices are adopted, health organisations should consider working with an expert print vendor, one that has specialist print experience to ensure that it drives efficiency across all operations – and this can be achieved via OKI’s managed print services approach.

Deploying an expert vendor to manage print, health organisations can reap the cost benefits of working more efficiently.

Instead of acting on impulse and buying inadequate cheap printer consumables, with managed print services a long term and smarter printing approach can be instigated.

TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE? IT PROBABLY IS On the surface, cheap compatible consumables may seem like the perfect solution to reducing print spend. However, most fail to meet the high technical demands of health organisations printing needs. Working with poor quality compatible substitutes can damage both the performance and print output quality leading

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 13.1

to unnecessary downtime of the printer.

Using consumables that are not up to scratch can reduce the life span of a printer as the increased wear and tear of the machine from ill-fitting goods and lower quality products will eventually take its toll. As a result, health organisations may end up having to replace devices, which is far more costly than simply buying the correct consumables in the first place. Not using the manufacturers’ consumables may also invalidate the devices warranty, so fixing or replacing a printer may well prove to be even more costly than expected.

It makes far more sense to invest print spend wisely and buy original consumable solutions. In an independent Consumables Evaluation Report conducted by Buyers Laboratory Inc (BLI) and commissioned by OKI, which compared original OKI print

cartridges with third party brands, it was found that OKI solutions had 100 per cent reliability and for image quality they outperformed all competitor cartridges. While, compared to the poorest competitor, OKIs colour page yield was more than 19 per cent higher.

From the report there was no evidence that non-genuine products were equal to or better than the original consumable products. This supports OKIs long-standing belief that there is no viable alternative to original consumables for all-round consistency, performance, reliability, print quality and ultimately, value for money.

In an additional BLI report that compared OKIs original printer toner against ‘do it yourself’ toner refills from a non-genuine supplier (ProPrint), it was found that OKIs toner cartridges outperformed ProPrint refills in every aspect of testing.

This included delivering much higher yields for each of the CMYK colours, flawless reliability and consistently superior image quality.

In contrast, users refilling ProPrint toner cartridges experienced a variety of reliability and spillage issues, which is hardly cost effective. And towards the end of the tests, the non-genuine refills were making clicking noises indicating imminent drive gear failure, resulting in an extensive leak and cross contamination inside the printer requiring all the image drums to be replaced to make the device usable again. All this evidence indicates that it is vital to invest in genuine goods to ensure that the printer functions correctly and that the quality of print is not hampered by cheaper alternatives.

Another concern when looking to buy cheap consumables is the danger of purchasing counterfeit products, which can be very hard to spot. Buying these products is against the law, which could in turn, damage the reputation of a health organisation.

But you can avoid being seduced by compatible consumables by considering options such as managed print services.

WORK SMART – MANAGED PRINT SERVICES To streamline operations effectively, the key is to adopt smarter printing practices and that doesn’t just mean purchasing a new printer.

OKI offers the perfect solution to meet this need, in the form of managed print services, an approach that

unifies and manages all print processes, while ensuring printing operations are more closely matched to an organisation’s workflow and specific goals, such as reducing costs, energy consumption and carbon footprint reductions.

OKI’s managed print services can be particularly beneficial to health organisations as many departments don’t even realise how much they spend on print. The first part of managed print services delivers an all‑inclusive analysis of the print environment.

The results are then used to design a long‑term print solution, one which ensures print devices are used in the most resourceful manner and that printing practices are unified and managed more closely to match a health organisation’s workflow. By tracking and controlling print usage it becomes possible to work more efficiently – spend less but do more.

To meet this need, OKI offers a range of smart tools and solutions that provide visibility of day to day printing volumes and associated costs.

Working with one print contract, OKI also manages the process of purchasing printers or supplies, giving the assurance that only manufacturer consumables are used. And because OKI also provides maintenance support, health organisations are free to focus on core tasks and reduce capital investment.

game, OKI launched its first generation digital LED‑based printers in 1989 and has continued to refine and improve the technology over the past two decades, with the result that the company’s latest printers offer substantial gains across key aspects of performance.

In addition, a well thought through print strategy can help streamline costs and via managed print service, this can be tailor made

by OKI to fit an organisation’s needs. Simply by consolidating a number of individual printers, such as slow, high cost inkjet printers with a reduced number – or even just one – high speed, high quality OKI printer, health organisations could work more resourcefully.

Similarly, departments could benefit by combining printing, copying, faxing and scanning needs with one multifunction printer (MFP) instead of having separate printers, copiers, faxes and scanners. An additional benefit is OKI’s media handling flexibility. With just a single device you can print patient wristbands, document labels, invoices and patient notices to name but a few.

For many health organisations space is at a premium and any device that takes up this precious space needs to be worth its weight in gold. Pioneering print design, OKI has created versatile A3 printers that take up just marginally more space than standard A4 devices.

However, managed print services is not just the implementation of new printers, it’s about adopting smarter working habits as well.

It ensures that the best print practices are used across an organisation such as setting devices to default double-sided and mono printing, which reduces paper and toner costs.

Advertisement Feature

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tible’ ‘Compa ables consumsuitable a are not to reducing answer Long‑term costs. is usually usage than less tory satisfac

PRINT SMART A key part of managed print services is implementing smarter printing practices.

OKI prides itself on continuously developing its product line to make it as green and efficient as possible. Working with the most innovative printers, it becomes easy to reduce energy consumption and in turn, reduce costs. In fact, according to a recent IDC research report, newer products typically use 30 per cent less energy and consume 20 per cent less toner than legacy devices.

OKI is continually deploying new more energy efficient and greener products such as Eco mode, which automatically adjusts print speed and fuser temperature to save energy and time on one and two page print jobs. While Deep Sleep mode, available on all OKI devices, reduces power consumption to the barest minimum (often less than one watt). Some of the latest OKI printers also offer ‘Auto-Power Off’ technology, which automatically turns off the printer after extended periods of non-usage.

LED (light-emitting diode) technology is also being used in OKI printers. LED printers offer users consistent quality and print performance within a highly compact design as they use a smaller dot size when printing, which is far more precise even at higher printing speeds. Ahead of the

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE Given the increasing pressure from public spending cuts, it’s not surprising that health organisations are feeling the heat and need to cut costs. Yet, while compatible consumables may seem tempting at first to help reduce print costs as they are cheaper to purchase, this benefit is often only short lived. Research has shown that the long-term usage, reliability, print quality and life span of these items is less than satisfactory and these products are a false economy – non-genuine refill cartridges can seriously damage a printer.

Cheap compatible consumables are not a suitable answer to reducing costs.

Not when there are other approaches to consider such as OKI’s managed print services, which can provide both instant and long term cost saving benefits. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.oki.co.uk

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On 4 March 2013 Singers Healthcare Finance

EXPERIENCE

will become Shawbrook Asset Finance On 4 March we bring together 17 years experience of funding healthcare equipment with a new approach to lending. Shawbrook Asset Finance will have the same team even better placed to serve the healthcare sector.

GROWTH

Shawbrook Asset Finance is a trading style of Shawbrook Bank Limited. Shawbrook Bank Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Ser vices Authority.

Registered office: Lutea House, Warley Hill Business Park, The Drive, Great Warley, Brentwood, Essex CM13 3BE. Registered in England, company number 388466.

178x125_Shawbrook_Asset_Finance_Health_Business.indd 1

Make a clean start...

New cleaning audit management system for the NHS

• Developed to National Specification for Cleanliness 2007 and PAS 5748:2011 • Full integration with estates packages for maximum efficiency and productivity • Supports CQC guidelines for cleanliness and infection control compliance • Faster site audits with intuitive, flexible mobile functionality

Find out more: tel 0845 270 7747, visit www.asckey.com or email enquiries@asckey.com

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 13.1

14/02/2013 12:41

New macerators launched to help combat HCAI

Wine becoming a sound investment opportunity

DDC Dolphin, a leading expert in dirty utility room equipment and services, has launched two new macerators – the Pulpmatic Ultima and Uno. This patented range of hands‑free macerators will help break the chain of Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAI).

DDC Dolphin is offering hospitals the chance to try out this newly patented technology with a free three-month trial of both the Pulpmatic Uno and Pulpmatic Ultima machines.

The range sets new standards in the maceration of bio-degradable pulp product bedpans, bottles, vomit bowls and other similar articles. With patented hands-free operation, the machines eliminate

In this era where interest rates are below inflation, savers are being punished while most markets are volatile.

There has never been a more important time to seriously consider your investment options.

Investing in fine wines is a great opportunity to diversify your investment portfolio.

Wines are a different form of asset to many other investments, so are not subject to many of the issues that are hitting the current investment market.

Whether you are a first‑time investor looking to diversify an investment portfolio or a long-standing wine connoisseur, we can provide the advice and support in making your fine wine investment.

any potential patient‑to‑patient cross contamination. The new advanced range of completely hands-free Pulpmatic macerators cover all hospital requirements with the Pulpmatic Uno – a small pulp macerator used for single items which is ideal for isolation; and the Pulpmatic Ultima – a larger macerator for multiple items.

The Pulpmatic range features the first and only macerators offering totally hands-free operation by means of a foot‑sensor to open the machines and an optical sensor to close and start them.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.ddcdolphin.co.uk

Healthcare Products

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 020 8279 8921 Email: enquiries@ bordeauxinvestment.co.uk

UZIN in use at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt

For information about Public Conveniences in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, please telephone Streetline on 020 7361 3001 or visit our website at www.rbkc.gov.uk

UZIN products were used to install the floor at the new entrance and reception at The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

The Trust is committed to providing the highest standards of healthcare, so required an environmentally friendly and low emission flooring installation. Due to this sensitive environment, UZIN NC 160 Special Edition levelling compound was used to keep emissions to a minimum.

The new £2.7million reception and conference facilities mark the start of an £11 million project over a five year period to enhance the hospital’s facilities for patients.

With the new reception, patients are able to ‘self check-in’ at kiosks and there is also a brand new café.

John Grinnell, RJAH Director of Finance, said: “We are pleased with the new flooring at the RJAH hospital which adds to the light and airy feel of the fabulous new entrance.”

UZIN has developed UZIN NC 160 Special Edition which has been awarded an EC1 R Plus® classification for being very low emission and provides the most ecological approach for flooring installations. Not only does the product meet environmental requirements such as BREEAM, it also provides fantastic coverage despite its size. The 20kg bag makes the transportation of levelling compounds easier and safer for contractors.

FURTHER INFORMATION Tel: 01788 530 080 Fax: 01788 536 508 info@uzin.co.uk www.uzin.co.uk

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BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

A breath of fresh air for conferences and training In the heart of the Hampshire countryside - yet just ten minutes from Winchester - lies The Wessex Conference Centre. A stunning suite of venues and facilities for conferences, meetings, training and team building events.

Located on the campus of the renowned Sparsholt College Hampshire, The Wessex Conference Centre offers exceptional value and a variety of flexible spaces, all surrounded by glorious scenery. If you are looking for the perfect conference venue, you can look forward to: • • • • •

Boardrooms, venues and conference centre for up to 250 people Free use of all presentation and audio-visual equipment Plenty of free parking Accommodation: 25 comfortably appointed en-suite bedrooms On-site catering, training and hospitality teams

Or perhaps you are considering a motivational team building day? Take advantage of the College’s 400 acres for events such as a low ropes course, perhaps clay pigeon shooting or even horse-whispering!

Speak to our team for inspiration.

Short course public training the UK. • Supply Chain Topics: Procurement, Logistics, Contract Management, Transport Management, Materials Management, Inventory, Storage,Waste Management etc.

• Business and Management Topics: Business Process Analysis, Management Theory, Motivation and Leadership, Negotiation, Performance and Talent Management etc.

Many of our courses are accredited by the Institute of Supply Chain Management and we are an approved centre for delivery of IoSCM certificate and diploma programmes.

CP Training Services Ltd PO Box 28, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 1RA 020 7193 8976 enquiries@cp-t.com www.cp-training-consortium.co.uk

The Wessex Conference Centre Sparsholt College Hampshire, Winchester, SO21 2NF

Phoenix Private Ambulance Service

Specialised Passenger Transport Phoenix Private Ambulance Service has 30 years experience in providing a uniformed and individually-tailored patient transport service. Based in Warwickshire, we can provide vehicles and staff able to transfer people by stretcher and/or wheelchairs.

For example: • Transfers to and from hospital and treatment centres • Moves to and from care, retirement or nursing homes • Local and long distance disabled and patient transport nationwide

University of Bath Conferences & Events The University of Bath is the perfect location for conferences, meetings, events and team building.

Excellent transport links with the rest of the UK • Conference dinners for up to 250 • Range of accommodation including double ensuite rooms • Dedicated Events Team • Ample car parking.

For more information call us on 01225 383441 or visit our website.

All staff are CRB checked and their priority at all times is our passengers’ comfort and peace of mind. We comply with the appropriate Care Quality Commission standards, and our stretchers and restraint systems are tested to meet BS EN 1789:2000 standards and conform to the dynamic test requirements of ISO 10542-1.

For more information go to www.phoenix-ambulance.co.uk or call 01926 403359 to discuss your requirements

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HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 13.1

Accommodation & Hospitality Services

www.www.HAatbath.ac.uk

info@thewessexcentre.co.uk | 01962 797259 | www.thewessexcentre.co.uk

EMERGENCY SERVICES

NHS Fleets

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

AMBULANCE SERVICES UNITE IN CARBON REDUCTION Yorkshire Ambulance Service’s Vauxhall Ampera hybrid will be integrated as part of the City of York Council’s low emissions zone strategy

re Yorkshi ce n Ambula as the w Service bulance first amthe country in although the Trust is already service employ an doing this across the area it covers to tal and as part of the NHS Forest scheme. n e m n o And, the logistics of reducing Envir ainability carbon emissions are not as simple t s u S r e as getting staff to drive slower or less g a Man frequently – obviously this is not really an

Ambulance services in England have united in their quest to reduce carbon emissions and turn their blue lights ‘a lighter shade of green’. As predominantly vehicle-based organisations, the ambulance services have a very different carbon footprint to the rest of the NHS. Together across the country, they use 150,000 litres of diesel on a daily basis and the national ambulance fuel bill has increased by up to £26 million annually year-on-year for the past few years. These facts show that financially this is an unsustainable situation and with the classification of diesel as a carcinogenic substance (ref. BMA), alternative sources of fuel which are less polluting have to be found.

The NHS employs 1.3 million people making it one of the largest employers in Europe. The service is responsible for five per cent of the traffic on the road at any one time and is one of the largest direct and indirect producers of CO2 in the UK. The whole of the NHS has been tasked with cutting carbon emissions by 10 per cent by 2015 and 80 per cent by 2050.

Reducing the carbon footprint is more than just planting trees at ambulance stations,

acceptable solution in an emergency response vehicle – or turning off building lights when operating a 24-hour emergency service.

YORKSHIRE AMBULANCE SERVICE Despite the obvious challenges, Yorkshire Ambulance Service, along with many other ambulance services across the country, is working to reduce its carbon emissions through a variety of measures. Green equals black when it comes to the bank balance so initiatives are also driven by cost savings and generally have fast pay-backs with long term additional health impacts from less emissions in the environment.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service was the first ambulance service in the country to employ an Environmental and Sustainability Manager in 2010 to work with fleet, estates and procurement departments to reduce the impact that the service has on carbon emissions. Estate emissions have gradually been decreasing through the introduction of more efficient lighting and boiler upgrades, but the fleet emissions are more difficult to tackle with a

fleet which needs to reach destinations across 6,000 square miles as quickly as possible.

On average the Trust consumes 4.5 million litres of diesel each year at a huge cost of around £7million. There are some simple ways in which Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been working to reduce its fleet carbon tyre-print as well as tackling more significant reductions to eliminate carbon emissions.

Eco-driving training programmes have been introduced by the Trust for staff who operate vehicles in both the emergency service and the non-emergency Patient Transport Service (PTS). Applying these skills can result in more economic and safe driving and can result in savings of between five per cent and ten per cent on Trust fuel bills.

The Trust also changed its car lease policy two years ago, so those staff entitled to a vehicle now have to select one that emits under 130g per km and is taking it a step further to ensure that there is a continuous reduction in CO2 emissions by actively encouraging staff to choose electric or hybrid vehicles.

Written by By Alexis Keech, environmental and sustainability manager, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

The critical nature of an emergency response vehicle poses obvious challenges for carbon reduction.

But this has not held back ambulance services across the country from greening their fleets. Alexis Keech, environmental and sustainability manager for Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, reports

AERODYNAMIC AMBULANCES Working with Leeds University, YAS has been looking at the potential savings available through aerodynamic ambulances. Initial studies have identified that by changing from box‑shaped body ambulances to van E

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Healthcare Products

54

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children saves time and money thanks to Wasp Barcode Technologies Cut costs, not services. The British Medical Association (BMA) insists that services be made more efficient without compromising patient care.

Dr Brian Keighley, BMA chairman, recently said: “Our NHS is facing tough times and, as financial pressures mount, tough choices will need to be made about what the NHS can and cannot afford to deliver.”

Meanwhile, patients are waiting longer for treatment whilst fears over care rationing have surfaced. And, as more care is provided outside the hospital, all aspects of operations will be accountable. The NHS calls for more innovative and efficient services, and providers must decide which efficiencies will offer them the brightest future. With secondary care on the rise, innovative solutions that track operations from origin to delivery will help cut costs, reduce waste, and identify inefficiencies.

In anticipation of future needs, Wasp is developing solutions to meet these needs.

Wasp solutions can help you manage your operations, and cost very little up front.

The return on your investment is more time, more efficient operations, and most importantly, more time for patients. Staff

HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 13.1

turnaround puts pressure on your staff and puts quality of care delivery at risk. The CQC plans to do more checking services, and will “act quickly to stop poor services.” With barcode solutions in place, your staff has more time to focus on what matters: your patients. These solutions can be tailored to meet the specific needs of providers.

One Wasp partner, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust (GOSH), has already realised benefits from these efficiencies. GOSH needed a way to

computerise stock to identify and reduce wastage of expired stock, and supply accurate procedure costing to commissioners that pay for GOSH services. With Wasp Inventory Control, conducting year-end audits and determining cost for each procedure completed are now easy, efficient processes. Inventory Control has saved GOSH time and money, while improving their stock accuracy and forecasting.

Barcodes provide a slew of stand‑alone solutions that integrate easily into your operations. Because barcode solutions work with any system you have in place – even if you use many different electronic systems or have no system at all – you can easily and quickly begin realising benefits of information management. Whether you need barcoded labels for pharmacy operations and patient wristbands, or more detailed solutions that help you work more plan better and eliminate waste, the time to embrace these technological efficiencies is now.

FURTHER INFORMATION www.waspbarcode.co.uk Tel: 0845 430 1971 salesuk@waspbarcode.co.uk

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has been testing an electric Nissan Leaf for 10 months on its non-emergency Patient Transport Service

 conversations, a potential saving of 20 per cent could be made (purely on aerodynamics) with a further potential of 9.5 per cent on drag by incorporating an aerodynamic blue light bar into ambulance designs. This could equate to a saving of 12 per cent in fuel efficiency.

ON STAND BY Yorkshire Ambulance Service has also been working to tackle the problems associated with frontline staff on standby ready for allocation of a 999 call – a challenge for all blue-light organisations. The nationally-set target for all ambulance services requires the Trust to respond to 75 per cent of all potentially life‑threatening incidents within eight minutes and, to achieve this emergency vehicles are strategically placed in locations across the county. Due to the electrical requirement of the vehicles to avoid draining the battery staff must leave the engine running whilst waiting to be allocated to an emergency and this can sometimes be required for up to 65 per cent of a shift. This has led to the Trust trialling a methanol fuel cell which turns on when power is required for all of the electrical equipment and is currently looking to see how it can trial this with a hydrogen fuel cell.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has recently carried out a ten-month trial with a pure electric Nissan Leaf as an integral part of its non-emergency Patient Transport Service fleet and is currently testing a hybrid Vauxhall Ampera in York which will be integrated as part of the low emissions zone strategy that the City of York Council is looking to implement.

This is a frontline rapid response vehicle and is the first hybrid car to be used as part of an emergency service fleet. Its electric transmission is backed up by a petrol engine so it is a safe option for use in an emergency service.

The Trust’s Fleet department is also looking to run some trials with some brake regenerative technology, which will recharge the on-board batteries and has also been investigating greener tyres with better rolling resistance.

CARBON CHAMPIONS A Carbon Champion programme has been implemented at every ambulance station and workplace across the region to raise awareness of what is being implemented.

These champions pass on information, distribute literature and provide feedback to the management teams in relation to any issues and developments. This has proved essential in providing staff with the power to change their organisation from within and has also helped staff to understand the potential savings through having a greener ambulance service.

Many of the ambulance services in England

have looked at their carbon footprint in order to understand where their direct carbon emissions come from. In Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions’ (direct/purchased emissions) assessments, it was established that over 60 per cent of emissions come from their fleets and the remaining 40 per cent coming from their estates. Through new and innovative technologies, as well adjusting the way that their organisations operate, many ambulance services are already reaping the rewards of lower fuel bills and lower utility bills.

Many are just starting on their carbon reduction journey and others are further along the route of embedding sustainability in their fleet, ambulance stations and offices.

Most are working hard to reduce the main bulk of carbon emissions if not eliminate them through a variety of innovative developments.

Cycle response teams in busy town and city settings across the country play an important part in reaching patients quickly with paramedics using specially adapted and equipped bicycles which are capable of responding quickly within built-up and pedestrian areas. As well meeting the needs of patient care in congested city centres, the human-powered response helps to reduce the emissions in polluted city centres. London Ambulance Service, which originally started the cycle response unit initiative, has made an estimated saving of £2.7 million per year.

The ambulance service in Scotland has commissioned and welcomed a pure electric ambulance into its non-emergency Patient Transport Service fleet, the first in the country. East of England and South Central

NHS Fleets

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

so that you can see when they are 10 per cent below recommended levels, as fuel efficiency is greatly impaired by under-inflated tyres.

Nationally, trials have been run on blue light speed limiters where speed is limited unless the blue lights and sirens are turned on for an emergency response.

A NETWORK OF GREEN AMBULANCES Yorkshire Ambulance Service set up the Green Environmental Ambulance Network (GrEAN) which is now a national network of ambulance trusts who are working to become more sustainable through carbon reduction programmes. GrEAN was set up in May 2011 as it was identified that ambulance services across the country are very different to the rest of the NHS. Being predominantly fleet‑based organisations, the ambulance services face many different challenges in relation to carbon reduction and GrEAN is endeavouring to reduce the carbon footprint nationally.

The group has worked to unite the ambulance trusts in sharing information on trials and the value of different technologies, ensuring that vital information is passed around the country. The GrEAN group has put together a ‘Green Passport’, a guide for all ambulance service personnel to find out what they can do to reduce their carbon footprint at work and at home and provide a resource for carbon management education. The group has also carried out a national carbon footprint assessment to identify differences in the carbon emissions of each service.

In addition, GrEAN has taken up the challenge

Yorkshire Ambulance Service set up the Green Environmental Ambulance Network (GrEAN) which is now a national network of ambulance trusts who are working to become more sustainable through carbon reduction ambulance services have trialled the Vauxhall Ampera as a workable answer for marked managers’ cars or as part of their PTS fleet.

South Central Ambulance Service has rolled out solar panels on the roofs of their rapid response vehicles to see if they can trickle charge their auxiliary batteries to reduce the need for the engine to be run whilst on standby waiting for emergency calls.

East of England Ambulance Service’s key carbon reduction project is linked to its long term Integrated Service Model Strategy and like many others advanced clinical triage. This new model of care aims to improve service quality by offering a more appropriate response to patients and could mean providing an alternative to an emergency ambulance response such as telephone advice (hear and treat), care from a specialist falls service or being directed to a different service based closer to home.

In addition, tyre valve pressure indicators are being fitted on all East of England ambulances

to work with ambulance manufacturers to produce a frontline vehicle for the future that will ensure a sustainable and low emission fleet on a national scale.

By developing an ambulance fleet which is relevant to the service required and resilient to changes in the future, we can ensure that the NHS is sustainable and available for future generations.

Vehicle technologies on trial across the country include: methanol fuel cell; hydrogen fuel cell; solar panels on the roofs of vehicles; electric vehicles; hybrid vehicles; aerodynamic assessments; brake regenerative technologies; telematics; duty cycle analysis; tyre technologies; tyre pressure indicators; next generation green ambulance design. L FURTHER INFORMATION Alexis Keech, Yorkshire Ambulance Service: alexis.keech@yas.nhs.uk Tel: 07500 607531

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Don’t let fleet costs drive your business.

‘Sustainable’. A word often used in connection with vehicle fleets, usually in an environmental context. But have you ever thought about your fleet’s financial sustainability? With cost control a major concern for most companies, pressure may be building on you to squeeze more out of your budget.

Reshaping costs doesn’t have to mean compromising on the vehicles you can offer your employees. Moving to a whole-life cost model, and working closely with your procurement and HR teams, can bring surprising benefits.

At Alphabet, we can offer you expert advice on doing just that.

Reshaping your fleet, and ensuring fleet-related costs work harder for you.

Find out more: Tel: 0870 50 50 100 Email: alphabet@alphabet.co.uk www.alphabet.co.uk

FLEET MANAGEMENT

MOBILTY: A FLEETING GLANCE

Fleet Management

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

Clive Buhagiar, head of public sector at top three leasing company Alphabet, explains how a refreshed look at business mobility could save the health sector both time and money Like us all, the health sector needs to lose a few pounds after the Christmas gorge.

However, the scales are a bit different in a multi-billion pound public sector operation.

While we may be looking at forgoing chocolate to get back into our favourite clothes, the NHS must tighten its belt to the tune of more than £15 billion in efficiency savings by the end of 2013/14. As only half of the organisation’s non-pay spend is on medical or clinical goods and services, there is a substantial opportunity to explore savings in the non-medical, non-clinical arena – especially when it comes to transport.

When the recession first took hold, economic pressures prompted many health trusts to evaluate the cost impact of their fleet, with a number closing down their fleets entirely. However, the gut reaction of fleet shutdown is a thing of the past and, using tools like total cost of ownership analysis, health sector fleet managers are increasingly reviewing the entire life cycle of their travel mix – from long lease vehicles to daily rental, pool cars to public transport.

According to the recent Alphabet Fleet Management Report (AFMR 2013), around 70 per cent of public sector fleets have reviewed their business travel in the past 12 months and a large number are looking at financial initiatives as well as a more flexible approach to corporate mobility to better manage the cost of transport. As an example, salary sacrifice has been widely adopted in the NHS, providing cost savings to both the employer and the employee. The health sector has also led the way with private usage contributions, giving employees more choice while reducing the organisation’s Class 1A National Insurance Contributions.

As the fleet industry evolves, it is able to offer far greater flexibility. From contributory schemes, in which an employee can top up their package to get a more suitable or desirable car, through to corporate car sharing arrangements, such as the recently launched AlphaCity, the most important thing to remember is that every organisation is different and there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Instead, fleet managers should be working with their outsourced providers to audit the transport needs of their employees, calculating whole life costs and determining the most effective combination of travel options to suit the needs of the individual employee and the goals of the organisation.

In the panel opposite, there are a few simple tips for NHS fleet and travel managers to deliver cost efficiencies and free up some much-needed time. L

Tips for NHS transport managers 1. Clear policies save time The time spent repeatedly fielding routine queries is not productive and drivers FURTHER INFORMATION shouldn’t be hassling the fleet manager for answers that they can easily find for www.bsia.co.uk/information-destruction themselves. As such, the time spent at the outset to make sure that fleet policies are clear and self-explanatory, the fleet handbook is comprehensive and that drivers can access guidance via web, mobile and print will all pay dividends in the long-term.

2. Shift the time burden on to suppliers Many repetitive, time-consuming tasks can easily be handed over to suppliers. That way, the drivers do all the legwork while the fleet manager can get on with more important activities. It’s the suppliers who should be talking to drivers: after all, they have first-hand information. Alphabet has put everything its customers’ drivers need to know into one smartphone app to cut the volume of calls to their in-house fleet teams.

3. Streamline your supply chain If managing suppliers takes up too much time, try empowering them to do more (within set parameters) without having to get approval first. Even better, appoint one or two lead suppliers – typically the leasing provider(s) – to manage timehungry functions like maintenance and accident management on a subcontracted basis, leaving the fleet manager to manage by exception rather than juggling the demands of a plethora of providers.

4. Spread the load by distributing deadlines Annual chores like P11D/P46 reporting can really eat into fleet departments’ time, especially when they mean chasing drivers for information. In many cases, there’s no reason why information shouldn’t be pulled together monthly, which ‘distributes the deadline’ and diffuses the hassle. In the case of mileage, getting drivers to report via an on-line mileage capture solution puts the onus on them to keep up to date and outsources the task of chasing-up laggards. Capturing mileage this way saves money by deterring inflated expense claims as well as freeing-up fleet department time.

5. Save time across the mobility spectrum ‘DIY’ solutions already abound for company car drivers, so the next logical step must surely be to empower non-eligible staff to cater for their own mobility needs themselves, using 21st century alternatives to pool cars such as AlphaCity’s corporate car sharing solution.

Alphabet is a multi-marque fleet funding company and part of the BMW Group. Operating in 19 countries, the company manages a fleet of over 109,000 vehicles in the UK and more 530,000 vehicles worldwide. For further information visit www.alphabet.co.uk

Volume 13.1 | HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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FREEFONE: 0800

197 2062 EMAIL: healthcare@misco.co.uk VISIT: misco.co.uk/healthcaredeals Today’s healthcare business is undergoing a technology revolution. Outdated methods of care administration can now be replaced by efficient, electronic systems. Misco.co.uk is at the forefront of healthcare technology with a range of deals from the leading names in IT with the medical professional in mind.

From prescription printing to powerful notebooks to aid mobility, Misco.co.uk offers best value for healthcare.

Our dedicated healthcare team are also on hand to provide expert advice on the IT solutions that best suit your surgery, practice or NHS trust. Call our team on 0844 493 5325 for more details, or check out some of our very best deals below.

Epson WorkForce WP4015dn Colour Inkjet Printer • Cost per page up to 50%* lower than a laser • Faster printing at 16ppm mono and 11ppm colour • High print resolution of 4800 x 1200dpi • 330 sheet paper capacity • Double sided printing as standard • ENERGY STAR qualified reduced power consumption by up to 80%*

FREE 3 YEAR WARRANTY* Order: YN187932

£119.99 ExVAT

Epson GT-S85 Scanner • High-speed scans up to 40ppm/80ipm in simplex/duplex • Ultrasonic sensor Detect and easily recover paper jams • Scan large jobs 75-sheet automatic document feeder • Two-sided scanning Scan both sides in a single pass • Easy integration Compatible with leading IT systems.

SCAN UP TO 40PPM Order: YNQ464722

£529.99 ExVAT

Brother HL-5440D Mono Laser Printer

Brother ADS-2100 Duplex Document Scanner

• Fast 38ppm print speeds • Automatic duplex printing as standard • First page out in less than 8.5 seconds • High yield toner option keeps costs down.

• Space saving compact design • Easy to use “One Touch” scanning direct to USB stick or PC • Scan up to 24ppm / 48ipm 2-sided scan speed in black and white, greyscale and colour • 50 page ADF with multipage detection • Scan to searchable PDF • Twain and ISIS scanner drivers.

AUTOMATIC DUPLEX PRINTING Order: YN194851

£159.99 ExVAT

EASY TO USE, ONE-TOUCH SCANNING Order: YNQ555204

£288.33 ExVAT

*Visit product page for more details. Prices and offers are correct at time of publication but are subject to change without notice and whilst current stocks last. Please visit Misco.co.uk website or call to get the most up to date price.

All prices exclude VAT & delivery. E&OE. Full details of our Terms and Conditions are available on request and can be viewed on our website www.misco.co.uk/terms.

Misco In Healthcare

Lexmark MX710de All-in-One Mono Laser Printer

Samsung ATIV Smart PC Pro With Clamshell Keyboard

Fujitsu LIFEBOOK UH572 Ultrabook

Fujitsu Stylistic M532 Tablet PC

• Fast 63ppm speeds • 1200 x 1200dpi resolution • Faster processing - Improve your print, scan and copy speeds by taking advantage of up to 3GB of upgradeable memory, an 800MHz Dual-Core • Duplex printing as standard • 550 sheet paper capacity.

• Full Windows 8 Pro Experience with TPM • Intel Core i5 processor for PC performance • Detachable clamshell experience with full keyboard • Magnetic form factor for flexible laptop to tablet mode.

• Intel® Core™ i5 3317U (1.7GHz) processor • 4GB DDR2 RAM / 500GB hard drive • Intel® HD 4000 Graphics • Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

• NVIDIA® Tegra® 3 T30S, Quad-Core ARM Cortex A9 (1.4GHz) • 4GB RAM / 32GB eMMC flash memory • 25.7cm (10.1"), TFT, (WXGA), 1280 x 800 pixel, gorilla glass screen • Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich).

CLAIM WINDOWS 8 PRO FOR £14.99* Order: YNQ585937

£1,429.99 ExVAT

Order: YN198732

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Order: YNQ570646

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Order: YN197218

£355.83 ExVAT

Misco is a registered trademark of Systemax Inc. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. Copyright©2013 Misco. All rights reserved. 24442-0213

Limbs & Things

BUSINESS INFORMATION FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS – www.healthbusinessuk.net

60

Specialist Skills

A breath of fresh air for conferences and training In the heart of the Hampshire countryside - yet just ten minutes from Winchester - lies The Wessex Conference Centre. A stunning suite of venues and facilities for conferences, meetings, training and team building events.

SutureTutor Plus

Located on the campus of the renowned Sparsholt College Hampshire, The Wessex Conference Centre offers exceptional value and a variety of flexible spaces, all surrounded by glorious scenery. If you are looking for the perfect conference venue, you can look forward to:

SutureTutorPlus is a self-directed e-learning course suitable for any student or healthcare professional wanting to acquire practical skills, or any institution delivering training, in knot tying and suturing.

• • • • •

For more information visit: www.limbslearningonline.com

Speak to our team for inspiration.

TM

MASTER THE SKILLS OF KNOT TYING AND SUTURING

T: 0117 311 0500 F: 0117 311 0501 E: sales@limbsandthings.com

www.limbsandthings.com

HEALTH BUSINESS MAGAZINE | Volume 13.1

Boardrooms, venues and conference centre for up to 250 people Free use of all presentation and audio-visual equipment Plenty of free parking Accommodation: 25 comfortably appointed en-suite bedrooms On-site catering, training and hospitality teams

Or perhaps you are considering a motivational team building day? Take advantage of the College’s 400 acres for events such as a low ropes course, perhaps clay pigeon shooting or even horse-whispering!

The Wessex Conference Centre Sparsholt College Hampshire, Winchester, SO21 2NF info@thewessexcentre.co.uk | 01962 797259 | www.thewessexcentre.co.uk

MOBILE APPLICATIONS

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HAVE AN APP(Y) NEW YEAR

Growing uptake of digital health applications on smart phones is set to radically change the way healthcare is delivered, predicts Frost & Sullivan

Advancements in mobile technology have opened up a new gateway in the healthcare industry. It is believed that accessing health data form a mobile device will be a norm in the upcoming years and it is estimated that around 21,000 health-related applications exist for smart phones and tablets. Amongst the overall mobile applications, revenues generated from the medical and healthcare & fitness categories each contribute two per cent in the total number of applications.

HEALTHCARE APPS Health apps can not only perform relatively simple tasks, such as counting calories, but also help consumers and healthcare professionals track, monitor, and share personal-health information for a variety of increasingly complex conditions, including heart failure, respiratory illness, and mental illness. For this reason, health apps represent a great tool for informing and supporting

Health n apps ca rform y pe not onl ly simple relative but also tasks, ck and help tracomplex r monito tient pa ns conditio

patients in the selfmanagement of their health and wellbeing.

Currently, simple apps that are easily downloadable for smart phones or tablets constitute the majority of mHealth-related apps. They require relatively unsophisticated tools and calculators with lower levels of security and analytics than apps intended for healthcare professionals. A persistent trend is that most healthcare apps track workouts or diets. Far fewer are dedicated to real health problems, such as chronic condition management.

In the current market, there is an opportunity to integrate personalised apps with electronic medical records. Popular applications include ones where medical tracking is combined with doctors’ feedback and personalised coaching. These applications help in sharing medical data between patients and healthcare

professionals for complex medical conditions such as heart failure, respiratory illness and mental illness. Most applications include vital monitoring systems that have meters plugged into mobile devices that help in serving diagnostic functions.

Applications providing translation, visual data for easier interpretations, and web based educational material are also popular. Most of these applications are free or low cost.

HELPING WITH SURGERY There are already numerous applications that exist that help medical professions and patients manage their conditions. For example, DrawMD from Visible health enables doctors to clarify complex medical and surgical procedures. The application E

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Point of Care Project in Australia Diabetes is a significant burden among Indigenous Australians with the prevalence of diabetes in Aboriginal people 3 to 4-times higher at any age than the general population. Indigenous Australian experience 12 to 17-times more deaths due to diabetes than the general population.

The Australian Government-funded national QAAMS Program provides a culturally appropriate and clinically effective diabetes management service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people through the use of on-site point-of-care pathology testing for haemoglobin A1c and urine albumin:creatinine ratio. The program is managed by the Community Point-of-Care Services unit within the Flinders University International Centre for Point-of-Care Testing and the RCPA Quality Assurance Programs Pty Ltd. In late 2009 Integrated Software Solutions (ISS) sister company, Point of Care Solutions Pty Limited (PCS) was approached by the QAAMS Program to supply a software package to enable all client (de-identified) and quality data (Quality Control and Quality Assurance) to be electronically collected from PoCT devices at participating QAAMS sites.

There are currently over 160 health services from all parts of Australia enrolled in the QAAMS Program.

In 2010 with the collaboration of Siemens Australia, PCS implemented the browser based v-LAB Point of Care Management system on a virtual server and the QAAMS team began connecting DCA Vantage devices (using ASTM protocol) in rural and remote health services, via the Internet. In 2011 the DCA Vantages were upgraded to the latest version of software from Siemens and the connectivity was switched over to POCT1A-2 protocol. v-Lab has given the QAAMS Management team the ability to immediately monitor and manage the results of all DCA Vantage devices connected to the system. The ease of connecting a new analyser to the server from any local, rural or remote area is a feature of v-LAB and the stability of the analyser connections have been proven over time with the program enjoying a 99.9% uptime. Users simply connect the devices to the local network and the pre-configured data management software on the device will connect to the host using the sites secure remote portal.

Features of v-Lab include the ability to track device and operator performance and monitor error rates and volume of testing on each connected device. v-Lab is able to provide cumulative quality testing data reports for each device. v-Lab includes numerous customised reports enabling the QAAMS Management Team to monitor and report on the results obtained by QAAMS services. Reports are scheduled to run automatically and emailed to the QAAMS Management Team for review.

All QAAMS participants are required to undertake a written and practical competency assessment after which they receive a Certificate of Competency as a trained POCT operator. In 2012 QAAMS implemented v-LAB’s integrated on-line e-Learning and Competency Test module for operator certification.

The v-LAB system has enabled the QAAMS Program to automate the collection and management of results and introduce on-line competency tests via the use of the Internet thus overcoming some of the obstacles presented by the geographically widespread location of QAAMS services.

Point of Care Solutions Ltd (PCS), a sister company of Integrated Software Solutions Ltd, specialises in providing solutions for Point of Care Testing including Quality Management, Compliance Testing and instrument Connectivity.

Visit www.pocsolutions.net to explore the power of v-LAB

MOBILE APPLICATIONS  covers anesthesiology, critical care, cardiology, otolaryngology, female pelvic surgery, general and vascular surgery, ob/gyn, orthopedics, and urology. It is a free application on the iPad. The application Visible Body is available for Apple iPad, iPhone and Google Android and offers information on body systems, organs, vasculature and nerves. It also gives detailed, anatomically 3-D models of more than 2,500 structures & definitions.

EZ Derm application for the iPad allows the dermatologist to make notes helping in diagnoses information, workup algorithm and treatment method.

Asthmasense for the Apple iOS or the android phone helps patients track their breathing and manage medications with symptoms, medication history and breathing function meter readings. It helps in setting reminders and setting alerts when asthma is poorly controlled.

PATIENT SAFETY There are many apps where the patient and the physician can keep check on the patient’s status. A mobile application like medication reminder keeps a record of the pills taken and notes the next timing for the pills to be consumed. It also notifies if a patient is low on pills, and based on the location, directs the patient to the nearest pharmacy.

Such applications reduce the burden on the patient, improve patient engagement, increase transparency of cost, and makes it easier to obtain medication. With patients managing their health effectively with mobile applications, patients safety should rise.

Other applications that are helping transform patient care include scheduling appointments, informing if the doctor is running late, helping monitor side effects, and helping patients follow their care plans accurately.

BARRIERS Despite the promising future of mobile health applications, there are several issues that have to be addressed before patients and doctors can truly enjoy the benefits of mobile health.

Achieving sustained health outcome depends on consumer engagement with health treatments. Many chronic conditions require careful adherence to voluntary behaviours, such as monitoring nutrition, managing weight, and exercising healthy choices. The best piloted programmes often fail because these lifestyle changes are hard to follow consistently over a continued period of time.

Another obstacle comes from physicians who may not encourage or even dissuade patients from the use of mHealth apps. Clinicians fear that as consumers become empowered with information about price, quality, services, and wait times, doctors will lose control over revenues and how medicine is practiced.

They are afraid that the traditional role of the doctor as a guide to health treatments

will weaken as consumers rely on mobile health apps or access websites on their smart phones to direct their own healthcare.

While tablets and smart phones combined with mobile apps have the potential to improve patient care, apps should provide some clinical decision-making data to truly add any value to the quality of care. However, without quality clinical research to back them up, they may be a waste of IT resources.

Nevertheless, with telehealth and at-home care for the aging emerging as new care delivery models, rising adoption of mobile devices and advancing mobile technology, the demand for mHealth apps will continue to grow.

But there is a lot to consider when using telehealth and mobile apps for Europe’s elderly population. Concerns exist regarding

Healthcare IT

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30 per cent of total Smartphones users will have used mHealth applications.

DATA SECURITY Given the sensitive nature of patient information, data security must be considered.

In recent times, infected applications have had to be removed from the android market place and malware has been capable of rooting devices and stealing data. What’s more, financial data has been stolen from thousands of Symbian and Windows mobile users.

There is therefore an immediate need to standardise and implement mobile security tools and technology. The responsibility for complying with regulations for applications lies with the publishers and the developers need to test their applications competently.

Another significant notion is that applications

Asthmasense for the Apple iOS or the Android phone helps patients track their breathing and manage medications with symptoms, medication history and breathing function meter readings.

It helps in setting reminders and setting alerts when asthma is poorly controlled new care delivery models, mass adoption of mobile devices and advanced technology.

Recent studies have indicated that the elderly population has difficulties in using mobile applications – for example, making sense of small fonts, thin lines and scrolling.

People suffering from a weakening of vision, cognition and motor skill could also negatively affect their use of mobile applications.

MARKET POTENTIAL Future smartphones are likely to be way cleverer than now, with capabilities to offer information based on location, discernment and prominence. This would revolutionise the manner in which patients receive information. Such new capabilities will help in exponential growth in the mobile health application market.

The mobile health technology market is growing. It is estimated that about 1.5 billion units of smartphones would be sold by 2016. It is likely that by 2015, about

available today are not mobile specific – they work fine on android, iOS and html5 irrespective if the device is phone sized or bigger. Hence there is a section of experts who would rather term this to be healthcare applications rather than calling it mobile healthcare applications.

A PROMISING MARKET With more personalised, sophisticated, web-based healthcare applications there is a promising market for health app developers and technology vendors.

Furtherstill, mobile network operators have started to tap into these opportunities and perceive mHealth as a natural extension of their core activities. Moreover, with the huge influx of medical data from sensors and other devices, there will be an increased need for advanced data analytics tools and companies focused on data management. The business around mHealth should thrive and become mutually beneficial for all involved. L

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Healthcare IT

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EVENT PREVIEW

HOW THE WORLD OF IT HAS CHANGED IN HEALTHCARE

Mike Sinclair looks back at the last 30 years of IT in healthcare, ahead of the health informatics congress, HC2013 – held by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT on 16-17 April in Birmingham by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, Monitor, CHIME, the Cabinet Office and the CCIO Network (supported by E-Health media). This year is also our first year working in direct partnership with the US based HIMSS (Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society), who are managing the exhibition and present the event jointly with BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT. A LOOK BACK AT HISTORY Reflecting on how things have changed over the last thirty years leads to thinking about how the world of IT has changed more widely over the whole of human history. It is still astounding that most of the development in the flexible and dynamic use of information technology has only happened in just over the last generation or so.

Mankind would have started thinking systematically about numbers and some associated activities (counting things, controlling resources, trading and communicating meaning) several million years ago, but the use of systematic and standardised approaches to these things appears to have only started gaining wide-spread recognition on a national For the last thirty years the annual event presented by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, via its Health membership, on the use of computers and information in healthcare has been the leading event on the subject.

Every year since the mid 1980s the event has featured a packed trade show and exhibition, and a high profile conference with key note leading academics, practical examples of leading edge practice in the field, top level government speakers, and the occasional celebrity appearance.

HC2013 is no exception and will feature a wide range of exciting and stimulating topics in its scientific conference. As well as addresses from the Secretary of State for Health there will be a video address by Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu (in his capacity as Chair of the Global eHealth Ambassadors Programme). There will be other leaders from the health sector addressing the event, including: Tim Kelsey (Director for Patients, Insight and Intelligence, NCB); Andrea Spryopoulos (president of the Royal College of Nursing); Professor George Crooks (Medical Director for NHS 24 and Director of the Scottish centre for Telehealth and Telecare); Gillian Leng (Deputy Chief Executive of NICE);

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‘We now have a lot of core infrastructure in place, and have access to highly sophisticated information systems that can support clinical and corporate processes with an exceedingly impressive range of decision support tools’ Mike Sinclair, chair HC2013 Professor John Williams from the Royal College of Physicians; Gwyn Thomas (CIO for Wales) and Paul Hodgkin, CEO of Patient Opinion.

BUILDING ON RELATIONSHIPS In the last four years the event has developed strong partnerships with other national bodies and organisations, this year including NICE, the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Nursing, the Institute of Health Records and Information Management, Intellect, the NHS Commissioning Board and this year, for the first time, the Private Health Information Network. All of these will be running their own streams within the events conference.

Significant input is also provided in addition

or global sense a mere two to three hundred years ago. And it has only been just over a hundred years since we have started developing automatic calculating machines and utilised electrical engineering technology to fulfil these processes.

The main drivers for these developments were based on the base motivations around conflict (wars), power and possession (commercial, financial and administrative controls). Utilisation of these technologies for peace time, and social purposes, follows only after these initial drivers have promoted (and funded) powerful technical developments.

A review of the key milestones in the use of information and information technology in

the health services reveals a tangled web of many influencing factors: technical evolution and innovation; personal inspiration and commitment; the development of professional bodies and practices; and political control and management. All of these have experience a wide degree of success and failure across the years, and what has defined what ‘a good idea’ is has also changed over this time. In healthcare we have gradually evolved from counting things (money, simple transactions, events) to using information and information technology for more complex things, such as supporting decisions and keeping healthcare safe and effective.

Dental Estimates Board; the ‘Minister for Information and Information Technology’ at the Department of Health announcing a funded national scheme to promote the use of IT in general practice; and the subsequent development of the Read Codes.

Korner minimum data sets were mandated in 1987 and several national initiatives raised the profile and investment into information technology in this decade (including: ‘Doctors in Management’, the ‘Resource Management Initiative’ and the ‘Hospital Information Support Systems’ Programme.)

In the nineties we saw the growth of a determined attempt to improve standardisation of data sets, coding and information; a movement towards thinking about outcome measures and quality improvement, and more on knowledge management (with the launch of the National Electronic Library for Health. 1998 saw the publication of the seminal work ‘Information for Health’ which planted the seed that later grew spectacularly into the National Programme for IT (NPFIT). NPFIT was the first time a Prime Minister had paid such direct attention to the use of IT in the Health Sector, and created a billion pound programme with exceedingly ambitious vision and unfortunately unrealisable timescales for delivery of products that did not yet exist.

HC2013y is jointl y the ed b presnet Healthcare d US-baseation Systems Inform ty and BCS, Socie artered the Ch tute Insti for IT

HEALTH RECORDS The National Insurance Act of 1911 was the instrument that led to the infamous ‘Lloyd George Envelope’ – the primary care based container for the health record used by GPs for over 50 years. This was not a sophisticated bit of technology, but it did allow GPs to systematically record, store, easily access and communicate information on the patients they saw. The hospital equivalent is the Medical Record and we are still struggling to create electronic equivalents for these very simple paper-based structures at the present time.

In the UK we started getting systematic in our thinking about information and information technology with the establishment of the British Computer Society in 1957 (now renamed BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT), towards the end of the decade that saw the first industrial computer developed in the UK (the LEO computer). Healthcare started utilising this relatively new technology in small, distinct projects: the late 50s saw administrative (mainly payroll and financial) systems deployed in the cities of London and Edinburgh; and it was London, through King’s College and the London Hospitals that started developing the first patient administration systems in the late sixties and early seventies.

However it was not until the late seventies that the NHS started to recognise the need for standardisation, and whilst the US has started systematic thinking of coding with Diagnostic Groups (DRGs) the UK only nationally engaged with this agenda through the formation of the Korner Committee in 1980.

IT LANDMARKS After the leading roll of the London hospitals the UK health sector developed serious engagement with the Information and IT agendas in the seventies and eighties, notable landmarks being the development of laboratory and radiology systems; the adoption of computers by the Prescription Pricing Authority and the

THE 21ST CENTURY The 21st Century started in a mood of huge excitement and ambition, a large proportion of which ended up disappointed and unrealised.

We remain a long way from the vision that many have espoused and spent large portions of their working lives dedicated to achieving.

The aspiration of the fully electronic patient record, and a paperless health service, remains tantalisingly close, but still not yet fully realised, even at relatively basic levels. Notwithstanding this we have developed a maturity towards the use of technology and information in the health service, although this has been hard earned, expensive and time-consuming in the development. We now have a lot of core infrastructure in place, and have access to highly sophisticated information systems that can support clinical and corporate processes with an exceedingly impressive range of decision support tools. Integration, interfacing and knowledge management are now far more powerful and inherent parts of some of the solutions that are available to organisations in the health and social care sectors.

The Health Informatics profession, whilst still not yet formally established as a nationally recognised discipline, has much to be very proud of: notably ubiquitous business systems (email, spreadsheets, finance, HR,

Healthcare IT

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appointments management, data warehouses); the use and development of robust networks and other IT infrastructure (internet technology, mobile computing etc); the expansion of specialised clinical applications (primary care computing, laboratory and digital imaging systems for example). Health Informatics has also made possible immense (and largely unaccredited) gains in efficiency and effectiveness. The NHS simply could not begin to function without it. Much of these gains were largely achieved despite, rather than because of, the wider environment.

PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE What are the lessons we can learn from all this, to help us plan for the future more effectively? Health Informatics (HI) is integral to care and business management, not an add-on. It should thus be integral to planning, not an afterthought.

The critical importance of HI to the operation of the NHS requires an effective, strongly‑led (locally and nationally) workforce with an ethos of continuing development and professional standards, just as is now the case for medical, financial and HR functions.

BCS, The Chartered Institute of IT has been exceedingly active in the health sector since its early days, forming the London Medical Specialist Group in 1967, and has always had a strong and active membership at both regional level and within specific specialist health areas (such as Nursing, Primary Care and Mental Health.) The Institute has always been recognised by government as an organisation rooted in professionalism and providing knowledge and expertise in an objective and positive fashion.

The HC conference grew out of active efforts to develop health informatics events in parallel to the creation of international informatics bodies, such as the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA) and the European Federation for Medical Informatics (EFMI). Oscillating between various venues around the country the event eventually settled in Harrogate where for nine years it was established as Europe’s largest combined trade exhibition and scientific conference in the field. Recent changes have led to a smaller exhibition and a conference that has changed from a chiefly academic base one primarily concerned with practical applications and the sharing of best practice.

The rest of the 21st Century is highly likely to see an even greater growth in the power and flexibility of IT – this will undoubtedly result in more accessible and innovative technology with direct, and fast, application to healthcare.

Where are the innovations going to strike most in the next year or two?

Come to this event in Birmingham to find out. Visit the web site to examine the programme and register for a free place. L FURTHER INFORMATION www.hc2013.bcs.org

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