e-Prescribing to be rolled out at Staffordshire trust
University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust awards contract to Oasis Medical Solutions
University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust has awarded a contract to Oasis Medical Solutions to implement a new trustwide e-Prescribing system.
The technology utilises the GALILEO Medication solution from NoemaLife and marks the second collaboration between the two suppliers following a similar implementation at Worcester Acute Hospital NHS Trust.
University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust is the main provider of emergency and acute hospital services, serving a population of over half a million in Stoke-On-Trent, Newcastle-Under-Lyme and the Staffordshire Moorlands. It also provides specialist care and facilities for the surrounding areas of Staffordshire, Cheshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire and Wales.
The hospital selected the Oasis e-Prescribing system following a competitive OJEU tender process.
Once installation is complete at North Staffordshire the new system will move the trust towards eliminating the need for paper drug charts altogether, enabling multidisciplinary teams to prescribe, order and administer medicines to patients electronically. This will provide a clear audit trail for each individual healthcare professional and each individual drug.
Patient allergies or incompatibility between medications will be flagged, thereby avoiding unsuitable drugs or potentially-dangerous combinations being prescribed. Time prompts automatically inform teams when doses are due, while comprehensive lists of patients and prescribed drugs will simplify administration rounds for nurses. Full access to the electronic patient record helps ensure the right medications are given to the right patient, reducing the risk of error further.
Sue Thomson, clinical director of pharmacy and accountable officer for controlled drugs said: "We're confident the new system will benefit all aspects of the trust. For instance, shorter drug rounds and streamlined prescription administrative processes allow staff to focus more on care, which means a better experience for patients and timely discharge after treatment. Money saved on drug spend then can be reinvested elsewhere.”
“e-pPrescribing solutions are the future of healthcare and every hospital will ultimately be required to have them,” added Robyn Tolley, managing director of Noemalife UK.
“The Galileo Medication system has been developed in direct partnership with the NHS with trusts like University Hospital of North Staffordshire in mind. The flexibility of the system means that each trust can customise it in line with their own existing workflow processes rather than staff having to adapt their ways of working to fit the software. Furthermore, the solution is highly configurable so any specific modifications can be incorporated quickly and easily without adding significant costs.”
