TECHNOLOGY
Nurse call hand units.
The value of data: what can nurse call events highlight? Another area where I see real potential is in data capture. At my trust, nurse call data is not collected routinely, beyond what comes out in nursing accreditation audits. And that feels like a missed opportunity. The data could be hugely valuable, shedding light on response times, patterns of patient needs, and opportunities for workflow improvements. But there is a caveat: it has to be done thoughtfully. The last thing frontline staff need is another stick to be beaten with. Data should inform and enable, not punish. And we also have to consider its reliability: is the patient pressing the right button? Do they understand what each button means? Are we capturing context, or just numbers? Without careful implementation, data risks becoming noise rather than insight. Done well, though, it could be transformative: not just for estates and clinicians, but for patients, too.
Tammy Marsh
Tammy Marsh began her health service career as a theatre practitioner, where she developed an interest in education and training. Tammy moved to a post as an education training and development programme coordinator, before moving to Medical Device Services in 2011. During her time in Medical Device Services, Tammy has undertaken a variety of roles, including training co-ordinator, medical equipment library manager, EBME manager, interim service lead, and her current role of medical device governance and training manager.
The true impact and value of the advisory board When I was invited to take part in SSG’s advisory board, I was genuinely honoured. You go about your day-to-day work without ever really thinking someone might paying attention to your knowledge or experience, so to be asked felt like recognition and an opportunity to contribute. The advisory board brought together eight healthcare
professionals from across the UK, each with different perspectives on nurse call systems. We had people from critical care, infection prevention, midwifery, dementia care and more, all with their own experiences of using the systems in different settings. That mix of voices made for a rich conversation. What surprised me most was discovering just how
versatile nurse call systems can be. My own experience was rooted in clinical practice a few years ago, and like many colleagues, I thought of nurse call as that single orange button. To learn about the depth and breadth of what is possible was eye-opening and hearing how others used the systems differently in their areas gave me an even broader appreciation. Together, we identified some clear areas for
improvement. For example, the need for clearer displays at staff stations, distinctive alerts for urgent calls, and reducing noise in clinical areas by using mobile devices instead of alarms. Training also came through as a big gap: many
62 Health Estate Journal March 2026
clinicians are simply not shown what these systems can do, so features go unused. We talked about developing standardised training programmes, ‘train the trainer’ models, and on-demand e-learning to support staff in the long term. Another big takeaway was the importance of involving
the right stakeholders at the right time. Estate teams, ward managers, frontline HCPs, and even patient representatives all have valuable insights to bring. By hosting workshops and engaging widely, you end up with systems that do not just tick boxes but actually meet the practical needs of those who use them. What made the experience stand out was the freedom we were given. No idea was dismissed as ‘too daft’ or ‘out of scope’. It was a creative environment where every possibility was explored, and only later tested for viability. That openness not only generated great ideas – it also reinforced the importance of bringing diverse voices to the table. For me, the advisory board reinforced something I have long suspected: nurse call systems are part of a wider digital ecosystem, and we are only scratching the surface of what they can achieve. They are often seen as ‘basic infrastructure’, but they
are at every patient bedspace. That makes them the perfect foundation for safer, more efficient care if we
Systems like these need to be co-designed with the people who use them. When clinicians and estates are both part of the conversation, the solutions that emerge are clever, practical, usable, and far more likely to be adopted.
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