The Allocate Awards 2013 - Winners - RLDatix

The second annual Allocate Awards recognise excellence and innovation across the Allocate Healthcare User Community which comprises over 300 organisations. The awards celebrate use of Allocate Software’s solutions and reward those who have made a difference, whether that is to patients, colleagues, to their entire organisation, or to the wider health service. Fifty nominations were received from a wide range of projects and staff groups. The winners and runners-up of the Allocate Awards 2013 were selected by an independent judging panel of five leading figures in healthcare.

The awards ceremony took place during the gala dinner at the Annual Allocate User Group Conference in London on 15th October 2013. Winning entries were announced by Allocate Software’s Chief Executive Ian Bowles, and trophies were presented by comic and TV personality Dr Phil Hammond; Jenni Middleton, editor of The Nursing Times; Dr David Foster, Deputy Director of Nursing at the Department of Health; along with Allocate’s Business Development Director, Allen Swann.

The Allocate Innovation Award: Winner: Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust introduced an innovative way of working which has improved patient experience and working lives as well as increasing organisational efficiency. The team set up a programme to help newly-qualified nurses who are unable to find a substantive post in the trust by giving them the opportunity to work as bank nurses and at the same time providing them with a clinical placement.
The Allocate Award for Staff Engagement Winner: Tameside NHS Foundation Trust The team at Tameside has implemented e-Rostering using HealthRoster across all wards and departments within the Trust. The team looked beyond software training and instead devised a programme of staff engagement that included drop-in sessions to counter misconceptions and mis-information about e-Rostering. The drop-in sessions were so popular, staff even attended on their days off.
Project Team of the Year Winner: Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust e-Roster team was recognised for generating far-reaching benefits through the effective deployment of e-Rostering. This small team supports a large Trust which consists of four hospitals, 10 community-led midwifery units and covers 7,350 posts, 1,350 bank and agency posts and 94 student midwives. The team can now track all shifts and ensure the Trust is compliant with the European Working Time Directive. Managers are aware when staff are working too many hours, and can ensure they are rested adequately to provide the best care.
Outstanding Contribution by an Individual Winner: Steve Hutchinson, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Steve was nominated by colleagues for constantly striving to seek innovative solutions to help nursing staff reduce the amount of time they needed to spend on databases and spreadsheets. By developing smart ways of tracking preceptees, mentors, nursing qualifications, medical device training, competencies and even mandatory training, Steve has created a platform which is accessible to all and most importantly makes e-Rostering at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust easy to use and navigate.
Leadership Through Challenging Times Winner: Katie Swannie, York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Katie has delivered a number of significant HealthRoster projects against a challenging backdrop that has included a reduced team and the merger of two Electronic Staff Record (ESR) databases from different hospitals. Katie was nominated by colleagues who cited her ability to lead by example staying focused on the objective of ensuring that the e-Rostering project would make a significant difference to patients in terms of making sure that wards are staffed by the right people being in the right place at the right time.
Improving Care and Patient Safety through Technology Winner: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Kettering identified the need for improved Board Assurance for Patient Safety, Patient Experience and Clinical Effectiveness and the need to improve the data audited and collated at a ward/department level providing assurance from ward to board especially in light of the Francis report. They worked hard with Allocate Software to ensure that their system releases time to care, allowing real time review of trends, providing early warning triggers and action plans and the ability to review live data in meeting. This in turn is reducing risk, releasing time to care and improving patients’ safety and experience.
Improving Working Lives Through Technology Winner: Kettering General Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Having identified the need for improved Board Assurance for Patient Safety, Patient Experience and Clinical Effectiveness, staff at Kettering needed a system that was simple to use, understand and saved time. The team widened and customised HealthAssure, which was already in the trust, and A&E as one example saves over 5 hours per month and, as it is in operation in 38 wards/depts is a huge time saver. The system releases nursing time to care allowing concentration on improvements and patient experience.
Rising to the £20bn Challenge Winner: Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust The team at Leeds rolled out Allocate’s Clinical Activity Management solution and Employee Online throughout the Pathology service to help it meet newly-introduced working conditions and the demands of a significant restructure. The pathology project is estimated to make annual savings of over £4 million, and has given the Trust better visibility of key statistics relating to the use of staff hours and financial savings. The innovative use of the software will help ensure the service is staffed adequately to provide a 24/7 service – this will have material impact on patient flow which in turn will help the Trust meet quality and service targets such as the four hour Accident and Emergency wait.