A local NHS Trust has been shortlisted for two national Health Service Journal (HSJ) Patient Safety awards.
The Mental Health Law team at Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP) has significantly improved the way Mental Health Act information is processed - an integral part of providing compassionate care for some of the most vulnerable people in society.
By digitising the Mental Health Act at CWP the team has removed the need for handwritten paper forms completed by clinicians and approved mental health professionals, speeding up the process for patients and their families. The programme used to digitise the Mental Health Act was provided in partnership by specialist company, Thalamos, and is known as Thalamos eMHA.
The team has been recognised for their efforts; shortlisted in not one, but two categories - Early-Stage Patient Safety Innovation of the Year and for the Safety Improvement through Technology Award.
Jan Devine, who manages the Mental Health Law Team at CWP explains: “The vision was to implement Thalamos software across CWP to enable secure electronic completion of Mental Health Act documentation. The digitisation of this system has enabled patients to have ‘real time’ access to their information and updates around the Mental Health Act, their rights, safeguards, and treatment processes.”
A key aim of the initiative is to reduce the amount of time clinicians spend completing administrative tasks, freeing up more time to spend with patients. Since the system has been implemented, an incredible 42 hours of clinical time has been saved a month, alongside data quality improvements.
Jan continues: “All this has been made possible by the tremendous working relationship we have enjoyed with Thalamos. Together we have proactively sought solutions to help and support front line clinicians. I would like to thank them for their support throughout the project. I’d also like to thank our clinical teams on the wards and in the community for their willingness to undertake the relevant training and for their enthusiasm for the improvements.”
CWP deputy chief executive/director of operations, Suzanne Edwards said: “On behalf of the Trust I want to wish the very best of luck to our Mental Health Law team at the HSJ Patient Safety Awards. Helping to improve the lives of everyone in our community is a key value of our organisation, and striving for improvement in all areas is a vital part of this. By making things easier for our staff, we can devote more time to our patients and this project exemplifies this. Congratulations on the success so far and good luck at the awards ceremony.”
The awards ceremony takes place on Monday 16 September at Manchester Central.
