April 12, 2016 Industry news
Over 350 delegates, sponsors and exhibitors joined us today for the first day of our healthcare conference.
It’s testament to the increasing momentum and commitment behind GS1 standards in the NHS that over 20 NHS Trusts were represented, and that on our stage today we had Chief Executives, Directors of Nursing, Finance and Surgery.
Pat Mills, Commercial Director of the Department of Health led the call to action for the adoption of GS1 standards beyond the demonstrator sites. In his words, the GS1 programme is incredibly important, especially in these times of great austerity, and will provide a way of liberating some of the millions of pounds invested every year in the NHS. The demonstrator sites will prove that we get this value for money but it’s through their implementation across England that real difference will be made.
As the day progressed, we had Deputy Chief Executive of Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Nick Thomas, talk us through how important GS1 standards are for their patients and their staff, and Director of Nursing at Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Lorna Wilkinson, reemphasise the nursing and clinical benefits of implementing those standards. This was echoed by Kevin Downs and Keith Jones from Derby teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and a call for greater clinical engagement was made.
A theme throughout the day was the great opportunity available, not just for demonstrator sites but for all NHS Acute Trusts across England, to improve operational efficiency, patient safety and patient experience through GS1 standards. A clear priority for all is the patient, and the way this programme can fundamentally improve their experience, and ultimately their safety, in every hospital in England.
To keep up to date with information about the conference follow us on Twitter or the conference hashtag #GS1UKHC2016.