Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group extends Datix patient safety software
Solution now extended to cover NHS 111 phone service
Datix has announced that Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group (OCCG) has extended its use of Datix to cover the NHS 111 service in the county of Oxfordshire.
The NHS 111 service, a three-digit telephone number that enables patients to access local non-emergency healthcare services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, was launched to 650,000 residents in July 2012. OCCG commissions Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (OHFT) to provide the NHS 111 service, which then contracts South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) to deliver it on a day-to-day basis.
Its simplicity makes it very attractive to users and it is this popularity among stakeholders in the 111 service that renders it invaluable in our constant efforts to improve the quality and safety of the patient’s 111 experience
OCCG uses Datix widely to manage corporate risk registers, complaints, patient enquiries, incidents and freedom of information requests. The organisation also employs the incidents module to manage feedback from GP practices about commissioned services.
From the beginning, the configurability and flexibility of the Datix system has enabled Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group and its partners, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust (OHFT) and South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS), to report on and manage incidents relating to the new NHS 111 service in an effective way, promoting a quick response for reporters and supporting short, medium and long-term plans for improvements to the service. The evidence held in the Datix system is being used to make meaningful changes that have tangibly improved patient safety across the county.
Liz Wragg, quality improvement manager for the directorate of quality and innovation at OCCG, said: “With a proven track record in supporting our region’s complex healthcare economy, it made perfect sense to build on the original Datix implementation. We knew we could rely on the functionality of Datix software. It can be customised to record, capture and analyse specific data at a very detailed level. What is more, its simplicity makes it very attractive to users and it is this popularity among stakeholders in the 111 service that renders it invaluable in our constant efforts to improve the quality and safety of the patient’s 111 experience.”
The visibility and transparency provided by Datix facilitates the sharing of important clinical governance information. The web-based solution enables team members to categorise and consolidate huge amounts of information efficiently, monitor and prioritise incidents swiftly and then assign them to the right person at the right time to investigate. Users can view the progress of investigations and add updates to ensure speedier resolution, and emails sent from within the record are visible to all users.
Having a central repository for incident and risk information means that quick wins can be achieved to help address the challenges of the new health economy with confidence and prevent harm to patients
Critically, even the most-sensitive patient data is protected at all times in the highly-secure environment provided by Datix, a major advantage that meets strict NHS criteria for information governance. Files such as highly-confidential voice recordings and triage/consultation records are safely stored on the record. With such a comprehensive picture built up around each incident the module has grown into a powerful knowledge base, promoting learning and development of the whole service.
Jonathan Hazan, chief executive of Datix, said: “Our flexible, highly-scalable software enables commissioning groups like OCCG to launch new services effectively during periods of immense organisational change. The secure Datix environment provides the perfect tool for collaboration between different organisations working to the same end. Having a central repository for incident and risk information means that quick wins can be achieved to help address the challenges of the new health economy with confidence and prevent harm to patients.”