Delegates gather at the SSG Tech Centre to receive a live demonstration from Static Systems Group on the latest nurse call system technology.
Curia delivered a ‘sprint’ roundtable designed to put staff at the heart of the New Hospital Build Programme. The discussion focused on several subjects related to putting staff at the forefront of change management as the NHS delivers new hospital design and digital transformation.
A report was written up with the intention to enable estates and workforce teams across the NHS to utilise this thinking in improving the effectiveness of change management with NHS staff. This report also enables the Static Systems Group (SSG) to consider alternative ways of building trusted relationships with potential customers within trusts and at a national level with NHS England, given the proposed centralisation of future decisions with respect to the procurement of systems.
Implementing Digital Advancements
SSG is on a journey to enhance digital infrastructure by incorporating IP, POE, and VoIP technologies. Recognising the importance of future-proofing, SSG aim to establish a robust foundation for future digital features while ensuring a smooth transition for healthcare staff.
Following a strategic meeting with NHS England earlier this year, it was agreed that a practical example of a piece of technology rolled out within an NHS setting would frame the discussion at the Sprint. The ways in which attendees at the sprint reflected on this practical example framed the way in which attendees thought about the best way to make change happen.
In the dynamic landscape of healthcare, the integration of digital infrastructure is imperative for improving operational efficiency and patient outcomes. In the SSG Tech Centre we discussed the importance of implementing digital advancements seamlessly, with a focus on phased implementations, open platforms, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven decision-making.
Key Strategies:
1. Phased Implementation:
- Rather than overwhelming staff with a sudden influx of new features, SSG adopts a phased approach to implement digital changes. This allows for gradual adaptation and ensures that each change is thoroughly understood and integrated into existing workflows.
- The emphasis is on a pragmatic pace of implementation, with success measured not by the quantity of technology introduced but by the tangible outcomes delivered
2. Open Platforms:
- SSG work closely with other best-in-class digital technology companies to integrate their technologies, where they can. This simplifies the user experience for patients and their caregivers.
- SSG recognise the value of flexibility in integrating enhanced features into the core digital system. For example, the integration of nurse call with mobile devices and falls sensors is deferred until the clinical team is comfortable with the core system.
- This approach facilitates the addition of advanced features when the time was deemed right, leveraging the existing infrastructure and minimising disruptions.
- As technology is developing at such a pace, this approach also acknowledges that technology will be different in 3-5 years and anticipates inevitable change
3. Incorporation of Analytics:
- Acknowledging the pivotal role of data in digital transformation, SSG recommends that each digital implementation includes an analytics module. This commitment to data-driven decision-making allows staff to measure the impact of changes and extract valuable insights for continuous improvement.
4. Stakeholder Engagement:
- In large-scale projects like the New Hospital Programme, involving numerous stakeholders, SSG recognises the potential distance between clinical staff and technology suppliers. To mitigate this, early engagement with clinical staff is prioritised.
- Early engagement enables the identification of specific needs, such as the requirement for two-way speech at the bedside in response to the high volume of single rooms at the forthcoming new Midland Metropolitan Hospital. This collaboration ensures alignment with the digital strategy of the Trust and led to the inclusion of two-way speech in the project specification.
Results: SSG’s strategic approach to digital infrastructure implementation is yielding positive outcomes:
- Seamless integration of core digital features without disrupting daily operations.
- Gradual adoption of enhanced features based on staff familiarity and readiness.
- Data-driven decision-making facilitated by the incorporation of analytics modules.
- Early stakeholder engagement leading to the identification of specific needs and successful alignment with a healthcare organisation’s digital strategy.
Conclusion: This illustrates the significance of a well-thought-out strategy in implementing digital infrastructure in healthcare. By prioritising phased implementation, flexibility, data analytics, and stakeholder engagement, SSG is using digital technology to transform workflow and improve patient safety, whilst minimising disruption to patient and staff.
Read the full report here.
If you would like to find out more about SSG, please contact Kate Cassidy, Head of Marketing at katharine.cassidy@staticsystems.co.uk
Curia’s NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission
Independent, cross-party, and not-for-profit, as a policy institute Curia turns policy into practice as the UK’s first “do tank”.
Jointly chaired by former Life Sciences and Innovation Minister, Lord James O’Shaughnessy and former Deputy Medical Director at NHS England Professor Mike Bewick, the NHS Innovation and Life Sciences Commission seeks to identify examples of good practice in innovation, draw learning and consider how implementation plans across the sector can improve the lives of patients. By bringing together key strands of policy and developing effective implementation strategies through extensive research, the Commission seeks to see change at every level within the NHS.