The approach
On the back of a successful and ongoing programme of improvement the facilities team at Colchester General Hospital identified pressures and risks associated with maintaining a mix of nurse call technologies.
In order to resolve the diminishing supply of parts, increasing support costs and potential risk of system failure, CGH undertook a review of suppliers and technologies based in the UK, focusing their requirements on both current, as well as the future, needs of the hospital.
The solution
Through a series of supplier engagement and tender processes, the Tacera Nurse Call system from Austco UK was chosen based on its ability to deliver, integrate and scale a range of features such as RTLS and patient engagement, as well as a single unified systems using the IP backbone of Tacera.
Once the selection process was completed, work focused on departments and wards where the hospital felt the greatest improvements could be achieved, which also provided the impetus for site-wide adoption.
As well as supplying standard equipment, Austco UK is also involved in the customisation of components to suit the specific needs of the hospital.
The conclusion
Austco’s implementation approach, coupled with its ability to engineer a solution and Tacera’s platform topology meant that equipment could be installed into working areas, minimising the impact on patients and staff.
John Fulcher said: “We’ve now identified a ward as our centre of excellence where clinical teams will be involved in upscaling the system features and ensuring they are successfully adopted.”
