University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust (UHDB) has transformed how its renal teams manage clinical stock, moving away from manual, paper-based processes to a more efficient, digital approach with CareScan.
Within renal dialysis, where multiple treatments are delivered simultaneously, ensuring accurate tracking of consumables is critical. Previously, this involved manually recording batch numbers, expiry dates and usage for over 600,000 items each year, a time-consuming process that added pressure to already busy clinical teams.
Following the introduction of CareScan, this process has been streamlined significantly.
Consumables are now scanned into patient-specific baskets ahead of treatment, allowing staff to verify usage in real time during dialysis. The process takes just seconds and provides immediate visibility of what has been used, for which patient, and when.
This shift has already delivered several key benefits.
Firstly, it has reduced the administrative burden on clinical teams, giving valuable time back to patient care. What previously took an average of eight minutes per patient - equating to 500,000 minutes each year - can now be completed almost instantly, removing the need for manual paperwork.
Secondly, it has strengthened traceability. Accurate, real-time data enables teams to respond more effectively to safety alerts, infection control requirements and equipment tracking, ensuring greater confidence in the information available.
Finally, the system provides improved insight into cost and resource utilisation, supporting a more informed understanding of how consumables are used across the service.
Dr Nitin Kolhe, Consultant Nephrologist at UHDB, said:
“It is time to make full use of this technology not only for patient benefit but for the benefit of the staff and for the wider NHS."
Following a successful implementation, UHDB is now exploring wider use of CareScan across additional departments, building on the improvements already seen within renal services.
Watch the full case study: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4r3PLxn0Ml0
Image credit: GlobalView Systems
