October 21, 2015 Industry news
Hospitals in England are being given their own individual savings targets as part of a drive to save money.
The figures are being sent to 137 hospital trusts by Lord Carter, who has been appointed by the government to improve efficiency in the NHS.
In June, Lord Carter's report on the NHS identified a number of measures to make savings by 2019-2020.
GS1 standards can save every NHS hospital in England up to £3 million each year – while improving patient care”
Lord Carter's report on the NHS
Across the whole NHS, this could result in savings of up to £5 billion every year – through investing in digital platforms, improved staff organisation and a better approach to purchasing.
Lord Carter came to that figure after spending a year working with 22 hospitals.
He found a wide variation in spending across medicines, everyday items, such as dressings and syringes, and on facilities such as heating.
There were also wide differences in the cost of common operations, such as hip replacements, and infection rates.
In a nutshell, Lord Carter believes that just as there is variation in levels of care around the NHS, as identified by the Care Quality Commission, there are also variations in the use of money by hospitals - some are doing it well and providing good value for the taxpayer, some are not.
If hospitals all adopted the best practice for different surgical procedures and treatments, he argues, then outcomes for patients would be better and money would be saved.
The first step to achieving the benefits on offer is the unique identification of every person, every product and every place across Trusts”
Glen Hodgson, Head of Healthcare, GS1 UK
Glen Hodgson added: “Wasting time and money is no longer an option. Trusts should not be deterred by the new challenges that this cultural change presents, but instead, use the opportunity to make better use of technology and data.
Adopting GS1 standards is vital to greatly increase efficiency, quality and productivity across the NHS, reducing paperwork, freeing up budget and releasing time to care.”.
Lord Carter said: "The route to better care is to empower NHS leaders, so giving them the data and support they need means they can improve how they care for patients and make savings which can be reinvested in front-line care.”
This is part of an article first published on BBC on October 21 2015.