30.08.18
Isle of Wight NHS Trust and South Central Ambulance Service collaborate to improve patient care
The Isle of Wight NHS Trust (IWNHS) and the South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) announced today that they will be working together in a number of areas to improve patient service quality and “greater value for money” in the area.
The two bodies will look to work together in 999, NHS 111 integrated care, and patient transport services, recognising that the collaboration can “improve the quality and performance of services for patients,” in a statement released today.
A key area of work between the two includes the implementation of a new computer aided dispatch (CAD) system for the IWNHS Ambulance Service, whose current CAD system has been in use for nine years and needs to be updated.
Benefits from the new system includes ensuring that the IWNHS Ambulance Service will be ready to move over to the new Emergency Services Network (ESN) when it goes live at the end of this year; linking the ambulance, police, and fire services together under a single communications network.
The system will also hope to ensure fewer software glitches and temporary fixes, as well as providing economies of scale for the IWNHS finances.
Staff from the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service are currently visiting SCAS’ Southern Headquarters at Otterbourne to be trained on the new system.
Maggie Oldham, chief executive officer at IWNHS, said: “Our services work with a range of partners including the police and fire & rescue service and volunteers from organisations such as coastguard, and already collaborate in a number of operational areas, and we welcome opportunities to engage with stakeholders as we develop areas for further collaboration.”
Chief executive of SCAS Will Hancock said: “As the Hampshire and Isle of Wight health systems continue to further integrate and develop as part of the STP, it makes perfect sense to seek opportunities to work more closely together and identify ways to deliver excellent patient care and reduce cost.”
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Image credit: SCAS