Welcome to the Digital Transformation newsletter. This newsletter aims to keep you informed of any digital projects that may impact the way you work.
If there is something you would like to know about the team or the Digital Transformation Programme then please email us - sath askepr@nhs net
Phase two: Next steps
The Digital Transformation Programme continues at pace
CareFlow PAS has set the foundations for exciting and innovative systems to be implemented.
The following projects are now being planned into the Digital Roadmap:
Clinical Narrative: Expansion of electronic records into CareFlow
ICE Order Comms: Replacement of tQuest and review with ICE (Integrated Clinical Environment), delivering a reduction in paper requesting
HPCA in Vitals: Changing how we access Vitals, allowing more electronic forms through Healthcare Professional Connect Authentication (HPCA)
EPMA: Electronic Prescribing and Medicines Administration (EPMA)
Bluespier Pre-Op: Integration of pre-op process into Bluespier, creating a smoother patient journey
CareFlow Connect: Clinical communications tool including task management and notifications
Clinical Workspace: Summarises clinical information from multiple systems
Patient Portal: Facilitates communication with patients
Moving in to 2025/2026, the Digital Services Team are currently working with divisions and teams across the Trust to identify priority areas and understand the local and national funding availability. Please sarch “Digital Transformation” on the intranet for more information.
Meet the Cyber Security Team
Cyber Security underpins any digital project, as it provides foundations for safe, secure systems. The team has several daily activities to ensure that the Trust’s systems remain safe, which include:
Monitoring for security threats and vulnerabilities, analysing and acting on threat intelligence information
Ensuring compliances with national standards, including national cyber security strategy
Management of security incidents and risk assessing current and emerging technologies and suppliers
Reviewing and responding to high severity alerts, undertaking cyber daily checks including detection and response platforms, anti-virus, suspicious account activity, intrusion prevention and medical device security monitoring
Working and engaging with national bodies such as NHS England and the National Cyber Security Centre
As well as the above business as usual activity, the team work on a range of different projects, which include: the introduction of multi-factor authentication on NHSMail which reduces email breaches; the use of passphrases instead of passwords to create safer user accounts and the introduction of an asset scanning tool which provides up to date assurance of vulnerabilities affecting the Trust. These projects enable the Trust to provide assurance to NHS England that the systems and devices are safe and secure
The Cyber Security Team has been invited to present at the Midlands Cyber Resilience Network Event, where it will showcase some of the work undertaken at SaTH, including security compliance, solution implementations, education and training. Congratulations team!
John Cunningham, Head of Digital Service Delivery
Jon Cartlidge, Cyber Security Manager
Gavin Finney, Principal Cyber Security Engineer
Sam Kirk, Principal Cyber Security Engineer
Roland Mensah, Cyber Compliance Officer
Andy Cartlidge, Principal Cyber Security Engineer
Jeff Evans, Solutions Manager
Renjith Bhargavan, Cyber Security Engineer
Josh Worton, Junior Cyber Security Engineer
Interview with John Cunningham, Head of Digital Service Delivery
How long have you worked in the Trust and have you always been in your current role?
I have worked at SaTH for almost four years and worked in other NHS Trusts since 1999. I’ve worked in several different roles over the last 20+ years, all digital. I enjoy the part my role plays within the digital services arena, as well as the wider organisation, and how the role continues to support safe patient care
What do you enjoy about your role?
Working with such incredibly talented digital professionals across all digital teams is amazing. There is always someone I can go to for help or advice and guidance For me, as a leader it's really important to surround myself with product and technical experts as there are so many different digital disciplines.
What are your aspirations for the role, your team and the Trust?
For me, to continue to support the delivery the digital strategy and roadmap, helping to support the delivery of safe patient care through digital transformation, process re-design and service improvement and continue to focus on personal and professional development.
Describe your role and a typical day
I have a varied leadership portfolio, covering IT Service Desk, Desktop & Endpoint Support, Infrastructure & Network, Business Administration, Telecoms & Switchboard, Cyber Security, Business Relationship and Service Management A good proportion of my day is digital project and programme related meetings, ensuring core technology projects are on track to be delivered on time in line with the digital strategy, working through project related risks and issues, as well as supporting escalations and unblocking any blockers which may risk the delivery of projects.
In addition to projects, all of my teams support what we call business as usual (BAU), responding to incidents and service requests, essentially, 'keeping the lights on' which sounds simple but a really complex operation across such complex and varied digital disciplines/teams.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Having worked in the NHS for 25 years, SaTH really is a great place to work. The focus on Trust values, health & wellbeing for me is a real positive and whilst there is more to do, it's great that there is such a drive and focus to continually improve. It's also a privilege to see and be part of how digital continues to drive a challenging digital strategy and roadmap across the organisation, supporting our clinical and non-clinical teams and our patients
Spotlight on Patient Alerts
During the CareFlow project, a large amount of work was undertaken to refine alerts and to make sure that they were categorised in a way that was understandable and safe.
How do alerts work in CareFlow?
Alerts recorded in CareFlow are visible in multiple places including CareFlow PAS, CareFlow ED, Patient Flow boards and Clinical Portal. Within CareFlow, alerts have been grouped into three colour-coded areas:
Red coloured alerts directly affect clinical management of the patient (e g allergies, medical, transfusion, child at risk, NHS Spine)
Orange coloured alerts indicate infection alerts that affect clinical management or bed / ward management
Blue alerts indicate any other alerts, such as general patient alerts
Why are alerts so important?
Alerts in CareFlow provide essential visibility to colleagues regarding patient safety information They include allergies, infection risks, medical issues and other useful information that concern medium to long-term issues
Food Safety Alerts: How do these work in CareFlow?
Click here to revisit the CareFlow adding alerts QRG
Food allergy alerts in CareFlow provide essential visibility to the housekeeping, ward and catering teams of food allergies, which can ensure appropriate meals are provided and potentially life-threatening allergic reactions are avoided.
It is vital that ward staff maintain responsibility for adding alerts in CareFlow when food allergies are reported by patients. The Catering Team uses a report for all inpatients in the hospitals to identify allergies and make sure that patients receive the appropriate meal.
Full details for the process can be found in the Food Safety Policy Code of Practice & Procedure.
Recent Digital Achievements
The work of our Digital Services Team spans much wider than the systems that we use to record patient information Did you know that recently the team have successfully implemented:
Office 365: This involved the migration of over 5,000 users with minimal downtime and impact. It allows for future developments such as Microsoft Forms, SharePoint and OneDrive, aligning to the Trust Digital Strategy. This will now be a standard application for all new users.
SAU Whiteboard: An tailor-made in-house built system to help track patients through the Surgical Assessment Unit. Ensuring that patients receive the right interventions in a timely fashion and allowing the surgical team to track patient flow within the department.
Imprivata Single Sign-On: Roll-out to all clinical users The software allows easy access to multiple systems for clinicians, whilst enhancing security around accessing confidential information - even being described as a “game changer” by one of the consultants.
Paediatric Vitals: As one of the first trusts in the UK to take paediatric vitals electronic, we have enhanced patient safety and timely escalation of paediatric patients who need it.
A visit from our Royal Wolverhampton Trust colleagues
Late last year, our Digital Services EPR Team facilitated a day-long workshop with the EPR Team at the Royal Wolverhampton Trust (RWT). The RWT team is scheduled to implement CareFlow and Bluespier in late 2025.
The day consisted of SaTH sharing information on how they managed the successful cutover and go-live of both projects, including any hints, tips and lessons learned
Simeon Horton, Deputy Head of EPR Delivery, said: “I would like to convey my thanks to the SaTH EPR team for sharing your experiences of running such a major programme when we visited. A warm welcome was extended to myself and The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust’s EPR Programme team.
“My team will benefit from the many insights which you kindly shared We look forward to exchanging further knowledge and ideas as both organisations continue on the EPR journey and seek to develop our digitally systems to support the needs of our services and clinical teams, and to enhance patient experience. My sincere thanks to the SaTH EPR team.”
Representing SaTH at a national level
Rebecca Gallimore, Director of Digital Transformation, has been given an invitation to join a national CIO FD Assurance Panel. Senior managers at NHS England and other trusts will come together to discuss numerous topics; addressing common challenges, experience of system implementation and new opportunities Rebecca will also have the opportunity to share lessons learnt by the Trust to help others going through similar upgrades.
