North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has reached a groundbreaking milestone: one million scans in its clinical operations using asset-tracking and data-recording technology.
This figure underscores a broader shift in healthcare, as hospitals look to adopt advanced technology to improve patient care, streamline operations, and meet rigorous regulatory standards. Since introducing the scanning tool in 2020, North Tees has seen remarkable improvements, saving an average of 15 minutes per case for clinical support workers and releasing over 4,000 hours back to patient care.
The achievement is particularly significant for a healthcare setting where, previously, data recording was a manual and time-consuming process. The approach drives a shift from analogue to digital healthcare, with staff previously facing an uphill battle with paper-based data-recording, prone to error, inefficiency, and delays. These issues not only strained resources but added risks to patient safety. Now, with a digital scanning system integrated into critical areas like operating theatres, endoscopy, and cardiology, North Tees has revolutionised its workflows, with real-time tracking reducing what could have been weeks-long product recalls to mere minutes.
Mr Ish Ahmed Consultant GI Surgeon & CareScan Clinical Lead commented: “Our operating theatre processes are now streamlined, allowing us to make quicker, more informed clinical decisions and deliver faster, more accurate patient care.
“We have freed up precious staff time for our focus to be where it truly matters: on our patients.”
Anthony Kennerley, CareScan Project Lead at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, said: "Reaching one million scans is not only a celebration of how effectively our hospital has embraced and optimised this solution, but also a pivotal moment inspiring us to explore new applications across the Trust, reinforcing our commitment to excellence in patient care and operational efficiency."
This milestone comes at a time when hospitals are under increasing pressure to operate more efficiently while facing demands of higher regulatory compliance. New mandates, such as MDOR, mean that medical devices must be precisely tracked to ensure safety across the patient care pathway. CareScan’s full traceability provides Trusts with the auditability and reporting required, ensuring that medical devices can be tracked efficiently and accurately to patient level, providing Trusts with full compliance with the MDOR standards.
Looking to the future, healthcare settings continue to face mounting pressures on time and budget, with rising demands for weekend and evening procedures, alongside the drive for high-volume, low complexity (HVLC) surgeries. These challenges heighten risks and amplify the need for efficient, accurate systems such as CareScan. Ongoing collaboration with healthcare organisations aims to drive greater adoption of MDOR-compliant practices, ultimately enhancing safety and quality of care across the sector.
Matt Wright, CEO, CareScan, said: “We are incredibly excited about the future of CareScan and our partnerships with teams such as those at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.
“CareScan’s success in clinical settings is sparking widespread interest, and we look forward to building trusted collaborations that support evolving regulatory needs - all with a focus on enhancing patient care.”
Interested in learning how CareScan could support efficiency and care at your Trust while working towards the MDOR compliance deadline? Visit the CareScan website to arrange a visit to North Tees, and see the solution in practice: https://www.carescan.com
