Ipswich Hospital NHS
Trust, which employs 4,000 staff and provides healthcare services to
more than 356,000 people, has deployed
Datix
patient safety software. Ipswich Hospital is taking advantage of the
web-based capabilities of Datix to create a fully integrated framework
that manages adverse incidents, risks, claims and complaints across the
organisation. In principle, Ipswich Hospital can track end-to-end
progress of a patient from their initial incident to their contact with
PALS (Patient Advice & Liaison Service) through to making a
complaint and then a claim.
The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust originally installed Datix patient safety
software to meet the increasing demand from other parts of the Trust to
have greater involvement in managing the complaints process. Over time,
the Trust has expanded the Datix implementation to accommodate changing
business requirements.
Alison Davis, Risk Management Co-ordinator at Ipswich Hospital
commented, “Technology is key to supporting our vision for
excellence. Over the years, we have worked closely with Datix to
create a robust, integrated patient safety framework that places
patients at the heart of everything we do by managing adverse incidents,
risks, claims and complaints across the whole organisation effectively,
at the click of a mouse.”
Ipswich Hospital has noticed significant benefits since deploying Datix
especially in terms of simplifying the organisation’s complaints
management process.
All those involved with a complaint now have instant access to all
details provoking a much fuller and faster response than before the
web-based Datix system was implemented, when only the complaints
co-ordinator handled the investigative process. The Datix system is now
set up so that expert practitioners, such as medical specialists, can
see what complaints are coming in and comment on them without having to
complete the whole complaints management process themselves.
Culturally, the Datix system has played an important role in encouraging
senior clinical staff to engage more actively in the continual
improvement process by enabling them to comment on complaints in
real-time.
Similarly, Datix has provided the Trust with an invaluable tool for
proactively monitoring risk across the organisation. Each business unit
holds its own risk register within Datix and can use the unique
dashboard facility to flag up high risk items that demand priority
attention. The introduction of Datix for risk management has developed
an excellent process for what Alison Davis refers to as “horizon
scanning” whereby the Trust’s Board of Directors and Risk Management
Committee members can see at a glance the status of all risks.
Jonathan Hazan, CEO of Datix, concluded, “NHS organisations today are
under increasing pressure to maximise their resources, meet ambitious
targets for complaints resolution as well as deliver everyday patient
care and confidentiality of the highest quality. With decades of
experience developing watertight solutions for NHS organisations, Datix
provides the perfect vehicle for Trusts like Ipswich Hospital who strive
for excellence and put patients at the heart of everything they do.
Our technology enables best-practice ways of working that demonstrably
support the management of incidents, risks and complaints across the
organisation.”
The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust provides healthcare to more than 356,000
people who live in and around the city of Ipswich and East Suffolk. The
hospital covers 46 acres, employs 4,000 staff and serves more than
4,000 patients and visitors every day.
The Trust strongly believes that the hospital belongs to the community
which plays a vital role in the life of the organisation. Staff are
supported by an enthusiastic team of 400 volunteers, local people who
generously give their time to provide extra help including running the
hospital’s very own radio station, Hospital Radio Ipswich. In addition,
the Trust’s own big band – The Ipswich Hospital Band – has raised many
thousands of pounds for health related charities throughout the years.
Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust’s vision is to be the hospital of choice by
placing patients at the centre of everything it does, based on
principles of quality and safety, access and accountability within a
continuously improving environment. For more information, please visit:
www.ipswichhospital.nhs.uk
Datix has been a pioneer in the field of patient safety since 1986 and
is today the leading supplier of software for patient safety, risk
management, incident and adverse event reporting. Datix aims to help
healthcare organisations build a culture and practice that drives
excellence in patient safety. It recruits and retains people committed
to the healthcare sector and continually invests in its software and
services to ensure that it integrates best practice and learning.
Datix is focused on the health and social care sector. Its customers
include public and private hospitals, primary care providers, GP
surgeries, mental health and ambulance service providers. Its clients
also include organisations delivering care home and domiciliary care
services. Within the UK this includes more than 70% of the National
Health Service. Internationally the Datix client base is growing
rapidly and includes large scale deployments in Canada and the USA as
well as clients in Europe and Australia.
Datix is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. To learn more, visit
www.datix.co.uk or call +44 (0)20 8971 1971
