Decarbonising hospitals: Toshiba’s new generation air conditioning system

This is a sponsored article.

The latest version of Toshiba’s flagship Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) air conditioning system delivers a significant reduction of up to 80 per cent in equivalent carbon emissions.

SHRM Advance, the latest version of Toshiba’s flagship Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) air conditioning system, operates on lower Global Warming Potential (GWP) R-32 refrigerant. The combination of R-32’s lower GWP and reduced refrigerant charge enables SHRM Advance to deliver a significant reduction of up to 80 per cent* in equivalent carbon emissions, while reducing hospital running costs and delivering outstanding comfort for patients and staff.

Toshiba Carrier UK Ltd (TCUK) is a joint venture between Toshiba Carrier Corporation and Carrier, which is part of Carrier Global Corporation (NYSE: CARR), the leading global provider of healthy, safe, sustainable and intelligent building and cold chain solutions.

This all-new VRF air conditioning system gives hospitals an ultra-efficient, high-quality cooling and heating solution, enabling establishments to achieve best-in-class sustainability credentials, while reducing running costs.

“With the race to achieve net-zero, hospitals are under increasing pressure to minimise their carbon footprint,” said David McSherry, Head of Toshiba DX, Residential and Light Commercial, TCUK. “In addition to the significant sustainability benefits, as the price of R-410A – the refrigerant used in VRF systems to date – rises and availability falls, R-32 offers a very attractive optimum alternative, with significantly lower GWP, reduced costs and improved energy efficiency. SHRM Advance represents a win-win for healthcare operators and the environment.”

The new VRF system incorporates technical innovations that help enhance comfort performance and energy efficiency. These include the ability to select either three-pipe heat recovery or two-pipe heat pump operation, a new twin-rotary compressor with liquid injection, split heat exchanger, sub-cooling plate heat exchanger, a new high performance fan motor, and a unique thermodynamic circuit, all contributing to class-leading efficiency of SEER up to 8.9 and SCOP up to 4.67.

For system designers, a new generation of innovative flow selectors with up to 12 ports gives enhanced flexibility and optimises the ability of SHRM Advance to deliver simultaneous cooling and heating. This is controlled automatically, enabling seamless energy transfers between areas of the building requiring heating and cooling, ensuring a comfortable and productive indoor environment at all times, whatever the weather outside.

An advanced heat recovery function provides heat to the indoor unit with minimal input from the condensing unit, further improving energy efficiency and helping to minimise carbon footprint. If required, SHRM Advance can also be customised to operate as a two-pipe heat pump system.

For installers, the fully packaged SHRM Advance is available in 8 to 24HP capacity units, giving flexibility to meet the needs of any commercial building project. A new compact chassis height of just 1.69m helps integration on site, while it is possible to connect up to 69 indoor units per system. A full range of 13 different types of indoor unit are available, from 0.3 to 10HP capacity.

As well as conventional indoor units, SHRM Advance is available with a fresh air ventilation duct and a medium temperature water module. Supported by a 70-200 per cent diversity ratio, full system customisation is possible to overcome site-specific project constraints.

For applications requiring enhanced levels of indoor air quality, Toshiba’s one-way and four-way cassettes offer plasma/ionizer air purification, while the high-wall unit has an ultra-pure filter.

Safe operation is a key design priority and is ensured by an advanced integrated leak detection and shut-off valve system. To ensure regulatory compliance at the design stage, equipment selection software takes account of mandatory requirements, based on floor area and refrigerant quantity. For each proposed project design, it gives installers and consultants full guidance to ensure regulatory compliance and ensure total peace-of-mind.

Control is enhanced by Toshiba’s TU2C-LINK communication system, giving improved speed and connectivity. A full line-up of wired and central remote controllers is available, offering full compatibility with the new R-32 safety devices. Monitoring solutions include the Wave Tool Advance (available from App store and Google Play) and Link Adaptor, enabling quick and easy servicing.

“The world is heading toward a decarbonized future. SHRM Advance enables hospitals to contribute to the decarbonisation effort, while saving money and ensuring excellent comfort conditions throughout the year,” added David McSherry. “For both new-build and refurbishment projects, the system is a major step toward net-zero, and it is available now.”

*Compared with similarly sized R-410A systems. The precise percentage will depend on the system design for each installation.

News, Partners, Radar Healthcare, Radar Healthcare August 22, 2022

Will ICSs overcome traditional barriers to digital adoption?

By David Duffy

Paul Johnson, Co-founder and CEO of Radar Healthcare, speaks with ICJ on the need for integrated care systems (ICSs) to overcome traditional barriers to digital adoption and the key to partnering with the health and social care sector.

It is a more than a well-documented fact that health and care have lagged behind other sectors when it comes to digital adoption. “Often when you engage with a healthcare organisation, they are used to doing things that are chronic, that involve labour-intensive manual processes and as such, you often find they have structured themselves accordingly to these types of processes,” says Paul Johnson, reflecting on why health and care has taken so long to develop true digital momentum.

“As a result of these structures, digital readiness and understanding of what a digital system can bring is not always there within health providers.”

Paul, who has a passion for the impact technology can bring, co-founded risk and quality software provider Radar Healthcare with Lee Williams in 2012. The company’s award winning software is currently used by over 70,000 users across several health providers in the UK and abroad. The software manages incidents, action plans, audits and helps control risk. Radar Healthcare’s analytics module uses AI and machine learning to collate this data to improve safety and quality of care.

“There can be a tendency to overcomplicate approaches to digital innovation.”

Paul Johnson, Co-founder and CEO, Radar Healthcare

Reflecting on the genesis of the software, Paul shares, “after we began working in health and care, it didn’t take long to recognise that the sector was in need of systems that were able to properly manage risks and satisfy auditing, compliance and quality while improving safety.

Ironic positives can be taken from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, when gaps in digital readiness and capability were spotlighted across the sector. This shift towards digital solutions has seen new suppliers enter the market. In many ways, firms such as Radar Healthcare have found themselves using their unique position within the sector to help improve understanding around the benefits that technology could bring. “Even internationally, that mix of being in all the healthcare sectors and providing an end-to-end solution has now put us in a good position to advise, guide, and be a part of supporting ICSs as they develop”.

Key to partnering with the health sector

“There can be a tendency to overcomplicate approaches to digital innovation, particularly when we’re discussing systems such as AI or machine learning,” continues Paul. “In reality, we have found that the most valuable commodity within health and care is people’s time. Systems and initiatives that can reduce the time spent on administrative tasks will deliver immense value.

“Fundamentally, what we are trying to do is to help providers deliver the best care. We do that by providing them with data to make informed decisions about their system and use technology that will help them drive greater independence for patients and end users.”

“I’m positive about the initiative of integrated care, but fearful of the outcome.”

Paul Johnson, Co-founder and CEO, Radar Healthcare

While the end goal will always centre around delivering a better experience for staff and patients, Paul insists there is no one-size-fits-all to deploying digital systems; “probably 90 per cent of the deployments we work on will never be the way that the provider originally envisaged. When we work with the customer and we do it in a partnership, we don’t dictate as to what the system should be; we tailor the system accordingly.”

Paul states that, while Radar Healthcare’s software is a highly configurable platform that can be tailored to quite specific needs of trusts and care providers, it would never be beneficial to sell a system to somebody if it wasn’t going to help deliver a better outcome for patients. “We always start by asking, what is it that you’re looking to achieve? What is the outcome that you want to bring about? We’re so passionate about making a real difference.”

Digital integrated future

On the current progress of ICS development, Paul notes a certain sense of apprehension in certain corners of the sector, saying: “I’m positive about the initiative of integrated care, but fearful of the outcome.”

Software solutions like those offered by Radar Healthcare offer the chance for full digital integration across an ICS. The software can support each part of the system to work collaboratively, while also making intelligent use of data and information. It can be used not only to make preparations for CQC inspections, clinical audits, and incident management and to improve internal communication, but also to manage complaints and administer patient satisfaction and staff surveys.

“We are already seeing decisions getting tied up in governance and who has the authority to procure against what.”

Paul Johnson, Co-founder and CEO, Radar Healthcare

With a system like this, it is possible to create a consistent approach for managing governance processes and have full assurance that no matter what part of the ICS, both negative and positive events are being investigated and actioned and people are learning, improving and sharing feedback.

“The luxury of providing a platform such as [Radar Healthcare’s] is that it positions us extremely well to highlight where technology could be adopted better,” says Paul.

As one representative from Somerset NHS Foundation Trust put it: “The way Radar Healthcare links across all streams of work and pulls them together is like a big jigsaw built around the patient.”

While generally positive about any move to integrate disparate parts of the sector together, Paul suggests that the size and makeup of ICSs could hinder agility when it comes to implementing solutions at ground level.

He explains: “I worry that they almost become like individual oil tankers, so they won’t have the agility to implement initiatives to create tangible gains made in the short term, because we are already seeing decisions getting tied up in governance and who has the authority to procure against what.

“That’s my only fear, that they will not have the ability and agility to make quick decisions that can improve patient care. I just hope we’re not moving the furniture around again.”

Metrics for future digital success

Scepticism about the future success of integrated care can be partly put to a lack of established metrics for what good outcomes actually look like, and whether Key Performance Indicators should be rooted in population health outcomes in waiting targets or elsewhere.

“Very few can definitively say what the KPI is for an ICS. If you are going to measure yourself, it’s no good saying, ‘well, we’re going to improve healthcare outcomes’ without something that truly defines system success.”

For Paul, a crucial component of ICS success will be whether they are able to address the disconnect between providers and suppliers and bridge different understandings of KPIs and metrics. Integral to this will be whether the system can use companies such as Radar Healthcare to help establish clearer metrics for success that are relevant to that locality. It is superfluous to measure success if you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve.

Effective use of reporting software and other digitally enabled tools can help join services together at a ground level to enable tangible patient improvements. Harnessing such technology will be a crucial part of the integrated care jigsaw.

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How Tunstall Healthcare is investing in the leaders of the future

By Tunstall Healthcare

Global market leading health and care technology company, Tunstall Healthcare is investing in the next generation of health, housing and social care professionals with the launch of a new range of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accredited courses.

Part of ‘Tunstall Academy’, the online courses have been developed by Training Accreditation Programme (TAP) and CIPD accredited trainers. The courses aim to strengthen the knowledge and expertise of professionals in a range of areas related to health and care technology. The first courses available focus on telehealth and a range of other courses relate to the remote management of specific long term conditions including COPD, heart failure and diabetes. A Telecare Assessor course will be available soon, which will be followed by a number of other telecare-focused courses.

Gavin Bashar, UK Managing Director at Tunstall Healthcare, commented: “The role of technology in adult social care has been radically reshaped over the past couple of years, leading to 63% of directors in adult social care reporting that their local authorities are implementing positive investment strategies in digital and technology.

“We must therefore work to upskill staff members in these sectors to improve care service delivery, facilitate collaboration, and build a bigger and better workforce post-Covid. Our specialist training team works closely with participants to help them get the most out of technology for their own organisations and the people they support, and ensure they are ready to make the most of a more digital future as we transition to a fully digital communications network.”

CPD courses enable professionals to stay up to date with current and best practice in their chosen field, enhancing their skills and effectiveness in the workplace. Tunstall also offers a number of non-CPD accredited courses which can be delivered online or in person, designed to upskill people working in monitoring centres and group living environments as well as those delivering telecare and telehealth services.

All courses are designed for a range of learners, from beginners to advanced professionals, and can also be configured to develop skill sets for particular job roles, as well as achieving broader personal and organisational objectives, such as meeting TEC Services Association standards and enhancing customer experiences.

Andy Hart, Head of Technical Delivery and Support at Tunstall Healthcare, added: “People are the greatest asset of any organisation, and at Tunstall we have a responsibility to drive change across the sector as a whole. We are committed to educating and upskilling the next generation of professionals in the use of telecare and telehealth technology to modernise our health, housing and social care systems.

“Technology enabled care solutions (TECS) support individuals to live independently for longer and alleviate pressures on care and health services. It’s crucial that professionals are aware of the benefits of technology within service provision so that it can be deployed effectively, and education plays a key role in achieving this.”

Tunstall Academy brings together a range of initiatives designed to raise awareness of the value and potential of technology across the health, housing, and social care landscape, and to increase the benefits to users, carers, professionals and providers.

To find out more about the training services available, please visit www.tunstall.co.uk/training-services.

A person-centred, digital first approach to recovery

By Patricia Wynn

Ensuring that patient pathways are digitally enabled and person-centred is critical to tackling the elective backlog, writes Patricia Wynn, Director and Sales Leader, International Public Sector Health, Cerner Corporation

NHSE guidance states that “our ambition is to improve core digital and data services in hospitals to ensure we have the basics right.” A leading EPR provider in the UK and globally, Cerner supports systems to reach the minimum digital foundation and strive for HIMSS Stage 7 and beyond.

Cerner work across provider collaboratives to enable shared instances of the EPR. ICS-level collaboration reduces total cost of ownership and enables sharing of resources, such as PMO, training, back office and support. For example, a shared instance of Cerner accelerated provider collaboration across North West London ICS.

Imperial and ChelWest began sharing a domain in 2019 and now London North West and Hillingdon are set to join. According to Kevin Jarrold, ICS data and digital lead, “we have a growing agenda around collaboration across care pathways and the shared domain is absolutely fundamental.”

A shared domain has enabled NWL to gain efficiencies and generate much-needed capacity. Leaders can see across the system and transfer patients more effectively from one site to another. Virtual ward capacity is also managed centrally and embedded into the core EPR. Remote patient monitoring is leveraged from a variety of vendors, with all data feeding centrally into virtual wards created within the core EPR, enabling more efficient workflows and the sharing of virtual care staff.

Prioritising care

The national guidance outlines care must be prioritised based on clinical urgency, the impact of waiting on individuals and potential inequalities. To achieve this, North Central London (NCL) ICS uses Cerner HealtheIntent^®, a data and analytics platform that provides a single longitudinal record for every citizen, comprising data from all health and care organisations across the ICS.

According to Amy Bowen, director of system improvement, “[We built] an elective waiting list dashboard in HealtheIntent. Now we can show GPs for the first time ever what their waiting list looks like. We can cut that data by all the demographic factors, e.g. how many people have long-term conditions and how many? We can look and see by ethnicity, by deprivation – we can combine several factors. And we can actually understand that population at a practice level, at primary care network (PCN) level; by specialty, by borough.”

Transforming care

NHS guidance outlines transformation should focus on flexibility, ease of access and citizen control. Re-envisioning patient pathways – and ensuring they are digitally enabled and person-centred – will be critical. Royal Free London (RFL) has standardised and digitised 40 pathways.

Cerner experts are involved from the beginning of pathway design. Dr John Connolly, CEO of the Royal Free Hospital and group director of clinical pathways shares, “The goal of this ambitious programme is to ensure every patient can get the same high-quality treatment in any of the Trust’s three hospitals… and to create value for the entire healthcare system in the locality – not just our hospitals, but also primary care and public health services in an area that has high levels of deprivation.”

Supporting patients

Ultimately, a person-centred, digital first approach must include the person at the centre. Cerner Patient Portal UK, delivered in collaboration with Induction Healthcare, enables interaction and engagement between caregivers and their populations. A prostate cancer survivor in the Wirral explained, “I cannot emphasise how much the patient portal has improved the quality of my life. Those two weeks of waiting – the stress of revisiting the room where I was given my diagnosis – all that is gone now.”

NHSE’s operating priorities will not be achieved by overworking caregivers and staff, but by enabling them to work smarter and more collaboratively. Contact Cerner Corporation if you share a belief in the power of technology-enabled transformation and want to discuss how Cerner can support your system as in tackling the unprecedented backlog of demand.

Why is technology underrepresented in the training of health, housing and care professionals?

By Tunstall Healthcare

Andy Hart, Head of Delivery and Technical Support at Tunstall Healthcare, discusses why educating health, housing and social care professionals is vital to meet the needs of our growing and ageing population.

People today are living much longer. It’s recently been reported that the UK’s population hit a record with over-65s overtaking under-15s, and by 2030 it is estimated that 1 in 6 people globally will be aged 60 years or over.

But living longer does not necessarily mean living more healthily. Long-term health conditions are more prevalent in older people, with approximately 15 million people in the UK requiring health and social care services for chronic illnesses.

Andy Hart, Head of Delivery and Technical Support at Tunstall Healthcare, discusses why educating health, housing and social care professionals in the benefits and appropriate use of technology is crucial if we are to improve service provision, and why technology continues to be underrepresented in training.

Why technology is underrepresented

The urgent need to invest in preventative services and early interventions to reduce pressures on our services is being increasingly recognised. In fact, almost two thirds (63 per cent) of directors of adult social care recently indicated that their local authorities were taking positive investment strategies in digital and technology.

However, large-scale change involving health and care technology is complex and presents many challenges for the stakeholders involved. Key barriers to successful digital evolution include the budget constraints and the cost of implementing new systems, organisational attitudes towards risk, and the relationships that exist between health, housing and social care services.

Most of these barriers can be mitigated through greater training and the education of professionals. Greater education will help to build partnerships, maximise the use of data, drive cultural change and bring staff on the digital journey, whilst supporting them in their roles.

Investing in education

People are the greatest asset of any organisation and, like any other asset, they need investment and maintenance. The next generation of health, housing and care leaders require support if they are to continue to develop themselves, and therefore their teams and services.

The education of professionals within these sectors is crucial in enabling a cultural shift so that staff understand the value and use of technology, and how it can support them in effective caregiving, as well as improving the quality of life of the people being cared for.

With the right education staff should reap a number of benefits, including becoming more aware of the features of telecare devices, developing confidence in assessing and referring end users to the right solutions, and understanding the positive impact of telecare on working practices.

As the Occupational Therapy programme lead at the University of Lincoln, Carol Duff is significantly involved in the education of Occupational Therapists. She commented: “It’s very important that we give our students the opportunity to gain practical confidence in the use of digital solutions in a safe setting that are essential to support their practice in health and social care.

“Technological solutions may mean our patients are able to remain safely at home for longer and avoid or delay moving into hospital or into care. It is essential that our occupational therapists of the future can confidently and creatively explore digital solutions that may also reduce pressure on the system and release time to care.”

A digital future

With the impending changes to our telecoms network, digital is fast becoming the industry standard to ensure the safety of health and social care services, staff and end users.

New kinds of leadership will be needed to deliver change and evolve governance, while at the same time improving the working lives and motivation of employees. Cementing a cultural shift towards technology driven, outcomes-led approaches is required to achieve this, and in turn, this needs early engagement from professionals and an understanding that technology is designed to provide support, rather than to replace.

By harnessing the benefits of training and education, we can raise awareness of the value and potential of technology across the healthcare landscape, and provide enhanced support to users, carers, professionals and providers.

For more information on educating the future generation of health, housing and social care professionals, please visit www.tunstall.co.uk/training-services.

Reducing trauma for radiotherapy patients

By Capita Healthcare Decisions

The London Clinic is pioneering temporary markings as a replacement for alignment tattoos to help reduce the lasting trauma of radiotherapy treatment.

The London Clinic is one of the UK’s largest independent hospitals, providing medical care to thousands of patients every year and treating a range of diseases and conditions including cancer. As a charity, it continually reinvests in its facilities and technology, seeking to offer the latest advances in cancer diagnostic, treatment and support services.

However, it was not pioneering new technology that saw The London Clinic win the 2022 CHKS Top Hospitals award for innovation. Rather, it was their out-of-the-box thinking, allowing radiotherapy patients the options of having non-permanent alignment tattoos, which caught the attention of the judges.

Challenging the requirement for permanent alignment markings on patients receiving radiotherapy treatment

In its cancer management, The London Clinic declares that it is committed to giving patients choices in their care and always seeks to apply the latest technologies available to facilitate this. Radiotherapy provision is an innovative area, but one aspect of treatment has not moved with the times. This is the practice of tattooing patients who are undergoing treatment.

During the treatment process, radiographers can make between one and five permanent tattoo marks on a patient’s skin to help line up the radiotherapy machine and ensure the same area is treated each time. These tattoos can become a lasting reminder of a traumatic time and can negatively impact body image.

The London Clinic heard from some breast cancer patients who were unhappy with the aesthetic outcome of these tattoos given their location and especially as on occasion the ink can run or bleed under the skin. Patients said this constant visual reminder and effect on aspects of everyday life, such as clothing choice, had a negative psychological impact on their recovery. Their experience was mirrored by one of the keynote speakers at the 2019 Radiotherapy Society Conference.

As a society member and radiographer who had undergone a personal cancer diagnosis herself, the speaker was able to candidly describe the lack of choice or alternatives to tattoos. The London Clinic’s Pre-Treatment Superintendent attended the conference and was motivated to ask on her return: “Why do we still do this?” and “Is there something else we could be doing?”

While sophisticated Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT) and Surface Guided Radiotherapy (SGRT) techniques exist, which are less reliant on tattoos, the majority of cancer treatment centres still use them. Over the last few years alternatives have been explored and are in use such as ultraviolet (UV) tattoos and surface-guided radiotherapy and non-ionizing optical devices. However, uptake of these alternatives has been slow, either due to the additional resources or investments required.

By thinking of novel solutions, the radiotherapy team at The London Clinic was able to come up with an innovative way of marking patients for treatment.

Instead of permanent tattoos, pen marks were drawn onto the skin and covered with transparent film dressings. A map of the exact positioning of the marks on the body was reproduced on a sheet of clear acetate as a guide. Daily online imaging was implemented and acted as a control for positioning and verification of treatment accuracy.

This innovative alternative enabled the radiotherapy team to offer tattoo-less treatment which neither compromised patient care nor was constrained by resource or investment pressures. Through extensive auditing, the team identified no additional or significant difference or issues in set up, and that the new method was as accurate as tattooing.

“This innovation in practice has made a significant impact on the way we deliver breast treatments at The London Clinic. It is not the latest or the most expensive innovation, but it provides the patient with a better journey and more choice.”

Deirdre Moran, Quality and Development Superintendent for Radiotherapy and Medical Physics, The London Clinic

This meant that they could confidently tell patients that going tattoo-less would in no way compromise their treatment. Treatment times did increase slightly, but it was concluded that it was not of a magnitude which would outweigh the benefit of providing patient choice.

”Winning the 2022 CHKS Top Hospitals award for innovation helps convey that with very little investment it is possible to change the landscape of cancer care. The ability to offer tattoo-less breast radiotherapy has made a significant impact on our patients’ experience and will contribute to improved body image and self-esteem post treatment for years to come.”

Deirdre Moran, Quality and Development Superintendent for Radiotherapy and Medical Physics, The London Clinic

The tattoo-less option has featured positively in patient feedback and generated numerous patient enquires leading The London Clinic to share its technique and methods with other radiotherapy departments to further encourage those who were considering making the change.

To find out more, please get in touch healthcaredecisions@capita.co.uk or visit capitahealthcaredecisions.com

Digital communications tool provides solution for healthcare data protection

By Joost Bruggeman

Joost Bruggeman, former surgery resident at Amsterdam University Medical Centre, and CEO and co-founder of Siilo, discusses how secure digital communications tools can ensure patient confidentiality and solve healthcare data protection issues.

Instant messaging apps have become essential tools in our daily lives – their convenience, reliability and sheer ubiquity have transformed how most people communicate, both socially and professionally. At the height of the pandemic, their value within the healthcare sector became even more pronounced, as they enabled rapid information-sharing to help medical professionals learn how to deal with a hitherto unknown virus.

In these circumstances, medical staff came to appreciate the benefits of being able to share details about individual patient cases, including photographs and other sensitive medical data. It facilitated timely and seamless collaboration, without which many more lives would have been lost.

The benefits of ‘off-the-shelf’ messaging apps, however, don’t come without risks. Within the medical sphere in particular, a mistaken message could put patient confidentiality and data protection in jeopardy, while threatening one of the most fundamental aspects of healthcare ethics.

Overcoming data protection issues

Since instant messaging apps are clearly of value within the health and social care sectors, a solution is needed to overcome data protection issues. In fact, this challenge was understood some time ago, and was a key influence behind the development of specialist healthcare apps such as Siilo, which places data security and medical compliance at the heart of its development.

Designed specifically for healthcare professionals, Siilo undertook the task of preserving the usability that people expect from the technology, while simultaneously ensuring that patient data could be exchanged safely and compliantly.

Paul Cowley, Chief Information Officer at St. John & St. Elizabeth Hospital (HJE) in St. John’s Wood, London, recognised the importance of adopting a messenger service which has been tailored to the healthcare sector’s unique challenges. “Timely, effective and safe patient care often requires rapid communication with multiple clinicians and sometimes offsite. A secure, easy-to-use app is needed to facilitate this level of care.

“While temporary guidance was issued during the pandemic that allowed the use of well-known commercial messenger services to help reduce the risk of patient care being compromised, as a hospital we recognised that such services increase risk both in terms of patient data security and patient care, particularly because of the need to anonymise communications wherever practical.”

Security and compliance

Unfortunately, many health and social care professionals and organisations are unacquainted with these issues. Indeed, a survey by the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) revealed that 88.3 per cent of its members regularly use commercial instant messaging apps, like WhatsApp, for sharing clinical information with medical colleagues, yet 29.3 per cent admitted they were unaware of EU data protection regulations. A further 46.7 per cent indicated there are no regulations in place at their institution regarding the sharing of clinical data via instant messaging.

Given that specialist tools have been developed, why are they not mandated among healthcare professionals? The problem is that many health and social care providers still don’t understand the risks involved with off-the-shelf messaging apps because of a simple failure to differentiate between security and compliance.

The basic promise of ‘end-to-end’ encryption, which is offered by the best-known messaging apps, certainly provides a strong element of security. It means the servers of the vendor cannot decrypt the message data even if they wanted to because they don’t have access to the encryption keys that belong to this encrypted data. However, this only applies to data while it is ‘in transit’ from one phone to another. What happens when the data is ‘at rest’, i.e. delivered to a phone or other device?

After a phone receives a message, several synchronisations take place with common messaging apps;photos and videos are synced automatically to the photo library of the phone, where the media is not encrypted; all conversations are backed-up by default and automatically go onto the cloud services of the phone provider – where message data is also stored unencrypted. As such, all these unencrypted conversations are exposed to unauthorized third parties.

Importantly, the professional who makes the decision to share information about their patient is always held responsible for protecting the patient’s confidential data. On a messenger app, this remains the same – the sender is always responsible and therefore needs to have control of what happens with the information on the receiving end of that communication. This control is often not possible and means many conversations taking place over common messenger apps are not compliant with medical confidentiality laws.

This is a huge problem because it becomes impossible for any healthcare professional sending an instant message on most services to be able to guarantee patient confidentiality. A way which is often used to get around this is to anonymise patient information within communications, but this also brings problems.

As recognised early on by Paul and his team at HJE, if healthcare teams cannot clearly identify which patient they are communicating about, it will almost certainly lead to confusion and mistakes. Since all healthcare professionals have sworn an oath to “do no harm”, this risk is often one not worth taking.

Communication and collaboration

For staff at HJE, Siilo has become a key tool in improving communication and collaboration between staff, and therefore improving patient care. A good example of this can be highlighted via its use in supporting the hospital’s Urgent Care Clinic (UCC), which is also helping to drive adoption in other departments.

“If a UCC doctor feels the need for input from a specialist consultant or the patient needs onward referral to a consultant, the UCC doctor can now use Siilo to contact a relevant specialist consultant rapidly and securely wherever they are.”

It is also proving to be an invaluable component in the day-to-day running of its medical team. “Siilo is now the ‘go to’ for some of our multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDTs). It solved a problem with a desire to increase the frequency of our MDT meetings without placing undue burden on the clinicians that contribute.

“It also allows ad-hoc MDT meetings where clinical circumstances dictate a patient’s case needs a review ahead of the next scheduled meeting. The messenger app allows clinicians to collaborate securely and contribute from whatever location they are working, regardless of their diary commitments.

We know the opportunities for the app are vast and since adoption, we are already seeing options becoming wider and wider, with more exciting use-cases being frequently put forward by staff.”

A growing number of healthcare organisations in the UK are recognising the tremendous benefits offered by digitalisation to the healthcare sector. While this is encouraging, it is essential that tools and technologies are truly fit to meet the standards expected. For communications technologies, this means applying absolute rigour to ensure patient confidentiality.

Joost Bruggeman is a former surgery resident at Amsterdam University Medical Centre and now CEO and co-founder of Siilo. For more information, please visit www.siilo.com.

For more information about St. John and St. Elizabeth Hospital, please visit: www.hje.org.uk

Health-tech sector can prosper from UK’s commitment to unleash potential of data

By Joost Bruggeman

The role of digital data in the UK’s healthcare systems is set to gain newfound recognition and clarity when the government unveils its Data Saves Lives strategy this spring. If it lives up to its promise, the plan will help to drive the efficiency and effectiveness of data infrastructure and promote interoperability, while establishing clear and open standards for safely sharing data.

The backdrop to the new strategy is the tumult caused by the pandemic, and the ensuing acceleration of digital trends. The government now wants to build on the momentum which has been established in the push towards digital transformation. Similar exercises can be seen elsewhere in Europe, such as in Germany, which is set to invest €59 billion into healthcare technology and digitalisation in the rush to improve services.

While the UK’s strategy is primarily focused on the internal workings of the national healthcare system, the implications are positive for all healthcare technology organisations which have demonstrated a commitment to data safety and security. It means they are well-placed, both technically and culturally, to support the NHS on its journey.

Encouraging innovation

On reading the draft document, what is most encouraging is the focus on supporting innovators – those most likely to be responsible for developing and delivering new solutions to benefit both healthcare professionals and patients. The new strategy is set to provide a clear set of standards for those creating or deploying new data-driven technology.

“We find ourselves in the middle of a very exciting time in the digital development of healthcare in the UK.” Joost Bruggeman, Siilo messenger co-founder

This commitment to creating an innovation-friendly environment, with a framework for testing, approval and deployment, can be the catalyst for continuous improvement in the technologies used by healthcare professionals. It will provide the confidence to support investment, rather than the hit-and-miss, rather opportunistic nature of the current environment.

**Joost Bruggeman, CEO of co-founder of Siilo**

As CEO and co-founder of Siilo, a healthcare specific digital communications tool, I understand the fine line that the Government needs to walk. On the one hand, it needs to build on the huge opportunities that new technologies present by keeping its doors open to innovation – doors which opened because of the challenges brought by the pandemic. But on the other hand, the Government needs to regulate and manage the relentless growth of new technologies.

Covid-19 played a part in Siilo’s own pathway into the UK healthcare market, due to the urgent need for rapid, reliable communication and information sharing. The other issue which facilitated Siilo’s entry was a series of daunting ransomware attacks in the UK, which prompted hospital boards to take preventive measures on all digital aspects of healthcare, pushing data security to the forefront, and seeing hospitals reject unsafe commercial messenger apps that posed a threat to data safety.

**Siilo’s image ‘edit’ function allows users to blur and anonymise information and point out specific details on an image using the ‘Arrow’ tool**

Without these driving factors, there is no doubt that Siilo’s route into the UK healthcare sector would have been far more difficult, especially as a tech company from outside the UK. So now that the panic of the pandemic is subsiding, the Data Saves Lives strategy is aiming to create an environment which is conducive to technological innovation, at a level which is appropriate for the NHS.

This is a significant challenge because oversight boards have to make decisions on topics and technologies that they may not be familiar with. Conversely, technology often develops so quickly that in vast structures such as the NHS, conducting a swift quality assurance and compliance strategy, as well as putting new regulations in place, is far more easily said than done.

**Siilo’s Messenger App allows patients and healthcare professionals to communicate instantly**

Siilo looks at the proposed strategy with great anticipation, while at the same time. understanding how things work in the real world. There’s unlikely to be a perfect solution, but that doesn’t mean that innovators should sit and wait until everything becomes more crystalised. It is the responsibility of the technology sector to interact with healthcare providers and the NHS, so we can hold up our side of any mutual agreement.

In short, it is also our job to provide clear data on our services so that decision makers have a good understanding of what we bring to the table, how we work, and how we can contribute to the NHS’s future aspirations and security regulations. And the sector should welcome any opportunities for dialogue, for we find ourselves in the middle of a very exciting time in the digital development of healthcare in the UK.

Joost Bruggeman is a former surgery resident at Amsterdam University Medical Centre and now CEO and co-founder of Siilo – Europe’s largest medical messenger app. For more information, please visit www.siilo.com.

One week to go until The Healthcare Show opens its doors

By Integrated Care Journal

CloserStill Media, organisers of The Healthcare Show, taking place at ExceL London on 18-19 May 2022, are delighted to announce that over 3,000 healthcare professionals are registered to attend the largest, senior gathering of UK healthcare leaders.

Don’t miss out on your chance to attend The Healthcare Show, two days full of opportunities to increase your industry knowledge through CPD accredited content and to network with both old and new peers and learn about the latest products and services. Bringing thousands of senior healthcare managers and clinicians together who are striving to transform care and improve quality against a backdrop of Covid-19, it’s an event not to be missed.

Healthcare professionals can secure their free tickets online here

The Healthcare Show are extremely excited to open their doors again this year with a variety of new theatres and a fully booked exhibition hall. You will have ample prospects to develop professionally and examine the effects of Covid-19 within the healthcare sector.

Show highlights:

Louise Minchin, broadcaster and journalist, to chair the Healthcare Keynote Theatre
Co-located with the Digital Healthcare Show and The Residential & Home Care Show
Incorporating The National Association of Link Workers Conference and Awards Ceremony
Brand new theatres for The Healthcare Show 2022 include the Transformation Theatre, Clinical Priorities Theatre and Care Quality and Efficiency Theatre
Incorporating The Patient Safety and Infection Prevention Show
Patient Safety Learning Partner Lounge will offer a platform to share a combination of tools, resources, case studies and best practice
Meet CQC inspectors across health and social care at their Meet the Inspectors Hub and put all your burning questions to them

The programme is available to view here (subject to change).

Sponsorship is also now also open for the event. Should you wish to sponsor, speak or exhibit at The Healthcare Show please contact Mike Corbett on: m.corbett@closerstillmedia.com

For delegate enquiries, please contact Imogen Scott on i.scott@closerstillmedia.com

New digital maternity pathway goes live in Devon

By TPP UK

TPP SystmOne Maternity technology goes live at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation, digitising the entire maternity pathway, from ante to postnatal care.

This week, Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust have gone live with TPP SystmOne Maternity. The system has enabled the Trust to digitise their entire maternity pathway, from antenatal through to postnatal care. It is being used by all midwives in the region, including those based at the hospital and those working in the community. More than 2,500 women will benefit from the new system every year, with their maternity care now centred on a complete, integrated digital care record.

Following the go-live, midwives now have instant access to all of the maternity data they need. For example, midwives working in postnatal care can easily view all antenatal care and delivery details. All medical and nursing notes are captured in a single record. This provides staff with the information required to make the best clinical decisions and improve safety for mothers and babies. Advanced functionality in the system is also supporting staff with the management of more complex pregnancies, through enhanced clinical decision support, alerts, and a complete maternity timeline.

TPP maternity — TPP SystmOne Maternity in use at Torbay Hospital

There has been strong clinical engagement throughout the project, from midwives, doctors and nurses. The teams have used TPP’s powerful Clinical Development Kit (CDK) functionality to develop exactly the data entry templates and visualisations they wanted. All staff members can quickly capture the information they need for a complete antenatal, labour, delivery and postnatal record. The Trust have also used CDK functionality to create customised safeguarding content, helping to support and protect the most vulnerable families. Staff are also benefiting from interactive inpatient screens in the system, allowing them to manage bed capacity and perform safe, efficient handovers.

The go-live has also included providing TPP’s smartphone application, Airmid, to all women under the maternity service. This is putting women at the very centre of their pregnancy journey. Airmid allows women to access their maternity records, manage their upcoming appointments, complete questionnaires at home, and receive personalised advice and education material. Airmid supports better engagement and seamless communication between women and their maternity care team.

SystmOne also provides significant improvements to integrated care across the region and to multidisciplinary working. For example, maternity staff can immediately access any important information entered by GPs. This is significantly improving patient experience. Women only have to tell their story once, without having to repeat themselves. GPs can directly refer into the maternity unit, improving efficiency across both services. Additionally, all new births are now automatically registered with regional Child Health services, with no extra burden placed on NHS staff.

Tracy Moss, Head of Strategic Systems’ Software Development at the Trust, said: “We are excited to be working with TPP to introduce a new maternity IT system here at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust. The new system is expected to bring a wealth of clinical as well as efficiency benefits for our maternity teams and the wider organisation. The families we care for will also benefit from the system, as the new associated Airmid patient app will allow them to view their records, access information and be more involved in their care. Moving forward, we would like to continue to work with TPP to deploy other SystmOne products, both within our maternity unit and across our wider Torbay and South Devon organisation.”

Charlotte Knowles, Managing Director at TPP, said that “maternity services will always hold a particular place in my heart. Having had three babies, I know, from personal experience, what a superb job they do. We are delighted that the Trust are already seeing significant benefits for staff and patients from TPP Maternity. The dedication of the staff here has been truly inspiring. We are looking forward to working together to continue to make better use of technology to improve the experience and outcomes for pregnant women and their families.”