HSJ Awards 2010: Improving Care with Technology

2009 Joint Winners - Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust and East Kent Hospitals University Foundation Trust

Operating via a wireless network and allowing a range of departments to transfer information electronically at all stages of the process, Oxford’s BloodTrack transfusion system was a good fit for the Improving Care with Technology category.

“The film we showed at the presentation, of a nurse giving a transfusion to a patient, really brought it all to life,” says Barbara Cripps, blood safety and conservation team manager. “It demonstrated the safety features and simplicity of the process and emphasised that this is an everyday routine at our hospitals.”

“We wanted to promote and encourage this approach across other trusts. With a prestigious award to our name, senior managers and clinicians are more likely to take notice of our achievements,” she says.

East Kent also brought a strong personal element to its presentation of a new multi-site stroke assessment service.

“We took off-the-shelf, cost-effective video conferencing technology… and demonstrated that, applied appropriately, it is as safe as a bedside assessment,” says Dr David Hargroves, clinical lead for stroke services.

“This allowed consultants from the trust’s three acute sites to get involved and share care. In the case of one teenager, whose story we described, this meant the difference between disability and a full and active life.”

Judges praised East Kent’s team of clinicians and IT experts for their use of standard technology, successful outcomes and cost savings in a project that has the potential for widespread replication.

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