TECHNOLOGY


Bridging the gap: nurse call collaboration


Tammy Marsh, medical device governance and training manager (MDSO) at Northern Care Alliance NHS Trust, was recently invited by SSG to take part in an advisory board that brought together eight healthcare professionals from across the UK, each with different perspectives on nurse call systems. Here, she outlines the true value of estates and clinical teams collaborating to unlock the full potential of this technology.


When most people think of a nurse call system, the picture that comes to mind is simple: an orange button by the bedside that a patient presses when they need help. For many clinicians, that is the full story. It buzzes, it disturbs, and staff come running. But when I joined a recent advisory board on the future


of nurse call systems, I realised just how much more there is to these devices, and the opportunities we are missing by not collaborating better across estates and clinical teams to unlock their true potential.


My role as a medical device governance and training manager As a medical device governance and training manager, I sit in a slightly unusual position. My team sits within estates and facilities, but my work is focused on medical devices and how they are used by clinicians. That means I often find myself acting as a translator between two very different worlds. Estates colleagues are focused on delivery: getting


a system in place that works from an infrastructure point of view. Clinicians, on the other hand, want tools that make their day-to-day work easier and support patient care. Too often, these two groups do not get the opportunity to communicate effectively. And when that happens, nurse call systems are installed to the bare minimum specification, when in fact they are capable of much more.


How teams can collaborate more efficiently Take a new hospital build as an example. The brief might simply say: ‘we need a nurse call system’. Estates deliver on that request, but clinical teams rarely get asked what they actually need or shown what the system can do beyond the basics. That gap in communication means systems are underutilised. Features that could enhance patient safety, streamline workflows, or capture useful data go untouched. The technology is there, but the people who need it simply do not know it exists.


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It is not a matter of blame – it is a matter of language and understanding. Estates and clinical teams may often speak different ones, and without someone to bridge that gap, opportunities are missed.


How teams can collaborate more efficiently So how do we fix it? There is no one-size-fits-all solution, as every hospital and trust is different. Some are fortunate to have people like me embedded in estates with enough clinical knowledge to bridge the divide, and others may have a lead nurse within estates and facilities who can provide that connection. Where those roles do not exist, procurement is


often a good starting point. They tend to know the key stakeholders across estates, clinical, and finance, and can bring them together early in the process. What is vital is that clinical voices are heard before decisions are locked in, and that estate teams understand the operational realities of the clinical areas where these systems will be used. It is about moving away from a transactional ‘install a system’ mindset and towards genuine collaboration, building solutions that deliver benefits for everyone and create hospitals that are fit for the future.


Nurse call systems are at every patient bedspace.


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