NHS Scotland uses Advanced’s clinical patient management software

NHS Scotland is using clinical patient management software, Adastra, from Advanced to redesign its urgent care services for 5.5 million people.

The latest implementation is part of the Scottish Government’s new scheme to help all of its hospitals cope with the number of A&E admissions during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Government has been urging patients to access urgent care services by ringing NHS 24 111 unless it is a life-threatening emergency.

And those calling NHS 24 111 and requiring treatment at A&E will now be booked an appointment, at which point their clinical information will be transferred into Adastra for the seamless management of care.

The implementation of Adastra has been pivotal in the management of urgent care during COVID-19, helping NHS Scotland to signpost citizens to the right care, at the right time

Those not requiring A&E admission will be able to arrange a call back or make an appointment to go to the most-appropriate service – whether that be an out-of-hours GP, minor injury clinic, or mental health assessment unit.

Adastra provides the consistent data flow between clinicians and healthcare services by ensuring that, when a patient arrives, their medical records can be viewed instantly.

And clinicians can record the care they are providing and send further details to the patient’s GP.

Adastra links to Advanced’s document management solution, Docman, which is used by all GP practices in Scotland, delivering end-to-end care.

“With emergency departments overstretched, the Scottish Government’s scheme couldn’t come at a more critical time,” said Ric Thompson, managing director of health and care at Advanced.

“We are already starting to see a drop in A&E attendance, which suggests that some patients who would normally visit A&E are choosing to get care elsewhere.

With emergency departments overstretched, the Scottish Government’s scheme couldn’t come at a more critical time

“The implementation of Adastra has been pivotal in the management of urgent care during COVID-19, helping NHS Scotland to signpost citizens to the right care, at the right time.”

Adastra has been used in Scotland for the last 17 years to manage out-of-hours and unscheduled care.

And it has now been extended to support urgent care services and COVID-19 hubs.

Thompson said: “Our clinical patient management tool is the result of years of development and input from healthcare and IT professionals.

“We are confident it will benefit Scotland’s urgent care services both now, and in the years to come.

“We see it becoming a blueprint for other healthcare providers. Quite simply, it provides the continuity of care that both clinicians and patients need.”