March 01, 2021 Guest opinion piece
The trust [Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust] is launching an alternative way of transferring patients today, using barcode scanning technology to quickly and easily transfer patients between adult wards.
Saving an estimated ten minutes per transfer, the process is built using Scan4Safety functionality, which uses unique barcodes to help track a patient’s journey through the trust. Using the PPM+ mobile app, the patient’s identification wristband is scanned, followed by the room and bed barcode identifiers (GLNs – GS1 Global Location Numbers).
The new process takes a matter of seconds to complete and associates their patients with a specific, real time location, supporting a precise Live Bed State down to bed level. It also provides an easily accessible record of the patient’s journey around the trust, supporting their COVID response.
David Berridge, executive sponsor for the Scan4Safety programme, said