Clinical audit
Understanding operational pressure points Being able to mark key milestones through data is critical, especially for items such as surgical instruments. They may seem like a relatively insignificant area for data insights, but there’s a big impact to the NHS and to patients. Lost or faulty equipment is understood to be the reason behind a 32% increase in cancelled operations.3 Issues such as these are classified by the NHS as ‘never events’ – which, by their very definition, means they are entirely avoidable.
The missing piece of the puzzle All this insight is great, but we’re still missing a key piece of the puzzle. One of the difficulties in harnessing all the data that the NHS owns is that it doesn’t sit neatly in one place that’s accessible to all. It’s fragmented. We’ve not yet reached a point where data can flow freely throughout the NHS and some of that is down to challenges such as overcoming siloed departmental working. But another significant factor is the number of systems the NHS has adopted which insist on working within their own silos. Manufacturers of software have, for years,
operated on the basis that the data and insights recorded, analysed, and served up within their systems can be a healthcare gamechanger – so long as they operate and interact within only their own infrastructure. When we’re striving for data to deliver the bigger picture within healthcare, it’s difficult to rationalise manufacturers working
with closed protocols. They are effectively blocking the digital threads from being woven together. We need to forge close collaborations with partners – exploring what knowledge, expertise and technology can be combined for greater value, improved patient outcomes, safety, and experience.
Where do we go from here? Data alone can’t answer all the questions healthcare has, but its careful curation is key to painting the most accurate, unbiased picture. The role of technology providers is to find a way to help healthcare take the masses of data it’s collecting and with those breadcrumbs, help make connections, identify trends, and glean greater understanding to improve outcomes. The benefit to population health now and in the future is great. To do that, data collection and analysis needs to be standardised across the entire estate to provide a source of truth that can enable informed decision making. Insights should flow freely between systems, departments, hospitals, Trusts and beyond. Creating the bigger picture; that’s where the true power of health data lies.
References 1. Source: NHS Resolution. 2. Med Tech Europe: The European Medical Tehnology Industry, in figures. https://www.
medtecheurope.org/datahub/market/ 3. The Independent: Tens of thousands of
operations cancelled because of staff shortages and faulty
equipment.Accessed at:
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ politics/nhs-operations-cancelled-tens-of- thousands-official-figures-tories-damage-
labour-a9183636.html
About the author CSJ Come and see us for your Procedure Pack requirements Come and see us for your Procedure Pack requirements
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www.clinicalservicesjournal.com 59
Nick Westall is the Chief Technology Officer of Athera Healthcare, a leading insights and data-driven health technology provider in the UK. Nick has been leading technology teams to deliver value for customers, employees and shareholders in regulated industries, such as healthcare, for over three decades. Athera Healthcare aims to empower healthcare organisations to drive progress, improve operational efficiency and advance patient care. The company works closely with its customers – which include 26 NHS Trusts, the Yorkshire and Humber Clinical Network and many of the industry’s Royal Colleges including Paediatrics, Anaesthetists, Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and Psychiatrists – to solve complex challenges and spark real, industry-wide change through the power of data-driven insights and innovation.
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