NHS IT, Records and Data

Omnicell announces West Yorkshire acute trusts software partnership

Words provided by Omnicell, editorially reviewed by National Health Executive

Omnicell, a leading provider of supply and medication management solutions and adherence tools for healthcare systems and pharmacies, has announced a new software partnership with the West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT) to deliver its innovation solution, SupplyX.

WYAAT is an innovative collaboration bringing together six NHS trusts which deliver acute hospital services across West Yorkshire and Harrogate. WYAAT is made up of:

• Airedale NHS Foundation Trust
• Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
• Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
• Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
• Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
• The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

Working in partnership with each other, these local hospitals are able to give patients access to the state-of-the-art NHS facilities and expert staff.

The project with Omnicell is the latest step in WYAAT’s Scan4Safety programme to support improved patient safety whilst reducing the cost of care. WYAAT is home to one of the most visionary Scan4Safety programmes in the UK. It has chosen Omnicell as its sole Inventory Management Solution (IMS) across the region to help deliver consistency of practice and openly shared data.

Omnicell is fast becoming the go-to provider for gold standard inventory management software. Its range of products and services aim to:

• support patient safety
• drive efficiencies
• cut unnecessary and costly wastage
• allow healthcare professionals to direct their time into face-to-face patient care

Stuart MacMillan, Scan4Safety Lead at WYAAT, said: “We are really excited about the relationship with Omnicell and the implementation of a regional solution for managing the supply chain processes.

“The solution will allow for the first time a shared, collaborative view of all stock being used in each Trust in real time, opening up the ability to share products, reduce the costs of loan kits and most importantly, improve patient outcomes. Omnicell have proven to be a true partner in this endeavour and we’re looking forward to the opportunities ahead.”

SupplyX: How it works

Launched in 2017, Omnicell’s software solution SupplyX is a web based, real-time stock level information dashboard and reporting suite. It links to a hospital’s reporting system to control and report on open and closed stores for both top-up and perpetual inventory management. It is coupled with a handheld scanner for remote stock management and patient data capture.

The system helps to improve the traceability of all medical supplies moving through hospitals and provides trusts with real-time data at the touch of a button via a device such as a smartphone. It reduces unforeseen stock outs through re-orders based on current stock levels rather than weekly or monthly orders. Expiry tracking and automated supplier expiry alerts flag stock to be rotated, reducing out-of-date waste.

Using the system will give trusts a clearer picture of what is happening at each hospital site, helping them to make more informed financial decisions. The software allows trusts to track and cost everything at a patient, procedure and consultant level, providing an understanding of cross-department spending and allowing for the most economic and efficient care pathways to be identified and adopted.

As well as improving patient safety in the event of any product recall, Omnicell’s SupplyX technology also reduces manual time spent on managing and ordering stock so staff time can be redirected back into face-to-face patient care.

The WYAAT & Omnicell vision

Omnicell is proud to be a part of the WYAAT vision to create a region-wide efficient and sustainable healthcare system that embraces new approaches to consistently deliver the highest quality of care and best possible outcomes for patients. As the current Covid-19 pandemic has shown, accurate and efficient supply management across NHS trusts is more important than ever.

Within WYAAT, Omnicell’s SupplyX software will be used as a regional supply chain solution with NEP, GHX and inventory functionality. It will meet the needs of clinical, supply chain and operational staff by providing a shared view of product usage and the ability to reduce clinical variation through shared reporting on practices. The data created by SupplyX will allow WYAAT staff to drive efficiency, reduce waste and improve outcomes.

Leeds is already seen as leading the way in the supply chain process. In using Omnicell’s ground-breaking technology as its sole Inventory Management System, WYAAT will achieve the same level of capability across the West Yorkshire region, bringing all six Trusts to a consistent high standard. This is because SupplyX will allow the Trusts to freely share data and products between sites. The outcome will be increased clinical efficiency and a reduction in unwarranted costs. The sharing of clinical variance regionally will also allow for improved patient outcomes and operational efficiency across the Integrated Care System.

Omnicell is delighted to be working together with WYAAT to improve supply chain and reduce patient harm in order to positively impact the West Yorkshire population of over 4 million, including 44,000 WYAAT staff.

The installation of SupplyX will start to be rolled out across WYAAT in summer 2020.

David Berridge, Deputy Chief Medical Officer (LTHT) & WYAAT Programme Sponsor, said: “I’m passionate about improving patient outcomes across the WYAAT region and pleased to be partnering with Omnicell to achieve our ambitious aims. Throughout the process so far, Omnicell have proven to be a reliable partner who truly share our ambitions to deliver on the key aims of Scan4Safety, namely the Right Patient, Right Place, Right Product, Right Process. We look forward to the huge benefits this will bring to the patients receiving care across WYAAT.”

Ed Platt, Automation Director for Omnicell UK, added: “I’m hugely excited for Omnicell to have this opportunity to work with WYAAT and deliver world class inventory management systems with a likeminded partner who wants to reshape how such systems are viewed in NHS. We share a goal of improving healthcare and patient safety and I’m looking forward to working with WYAAT on this visionary journey.”