We work with industry to promote and amplify the use of our standards throughout the supply chain and patient pathway.
GS1 standards are used for the unique identification of every person, every product, and every place, to enable end-to-end traceability from manufacturer to patient.
Since our standards are both system and device agnostic, the data captured can then be shared seamlessly between systems and organisations to enable interoperability.
Mandated by The Department of Health and Social Care as part of the NHS eProcurement Strategy, the adoption of GS1 standards went on to be piloted as part of the Scan4Safety programme.
Traceability and interoperability
There are a series of GS1 Identification Keys that are used in healthcare to enable transparency throughout the supply chain and patient pathway. These keys allow for people, products and places to be identified seamlessly, in a standardised format, so that the data captured is consistent.
Our GS1 standards are also both system and device agnostic, allowing this vital data to then be shared between systems and organisations to facilitate system-wide interoperability.
Common GS1 standards in healthcare
Global Service Relation Number (GSRN)
Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)
Global Location Number (GLN)
Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI)
Global Document Type Identifier (GDTI)
Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS)
Unique identification of people, products and places
People
Using the GS1 Global Service Relation Number (GSRN) to identify patients and staff.
Products
Using the GS1 Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) to identify products and devices.
Places
Using the GS1 Global Location Number (GLN) to identify organisations and locations.
Scan4Safety
The Scan4Safety evidence report demonstrated that implementing GS1 standards improves patient safety, reduces unwarranted clinical variation, and drives operational efficiencies – delivering better quality and safety in healthcare.
Headline results include:
- The release of 140,000 hours of clinical time back to patient care
- Reduced prevented-error rates by 76 per cent, including elimination of all errors caused by wrong patient, wrong drug, wrong dose and wrong form at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
- Reduction in the average time taken for product recalls, from 8.33 days to less than 35 minutes at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Non-recurrent inventory reductions of £9m across the six demonstrator sites
- Recurrent inventory savings worth nearly £5m across the six trusts
