Powering the silent revolution in patient care at RCHT
In a modern hospital ward, we believe the gentle hum of activity shouldn’t be interrupted by the jarring sound of incessant call bells. At Wandsworth Healthcare, our aim is to help create truly supportive and peaceful healing environments where patient well-being can always take centre stage. That’s why we’re incredibly proud to have played a key role in the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust’s (RCHT) groundbreaking ‘Silent Hospital’ project which is paving the way for a new era of patient-centred care.
RCHT’s forward-thinking approach on its Wheal Fortune postnatal and transitional care ward directly addressed a crucial question: how can we create a more peaceful and restorative environment for our patients? After two years of planning, the answer, implemented in April 2024, lies in the intelligent application of technology. This innovative approach allows them to gently silence traditional patient call bells and instead, discreetly route alerts directly to staff smartphones.
The impact the quieter environment has had on the patients and staff is remarkable. We’ve seen a 50% decrease in noise levels, which has transformed the ward into a calm and comforting space, much more conducive to rest and recovery. This shift has brought about tangible benefits: a notable 12% improvement in patient-reported sleep quality and a 0.5-day reduction in the average length of stay (ALOS). For the 25-bed ward, this reduction alone is estimated to bring annual bed-day savings of £74,942.
The technology behind the silence
At the heart of this transformative project is the seamless integration of RCHT’s existing Wandsworth Healthcare nurse call system with the innovative DNV Imatis Fundamentum platform. As RCHT’s trusted partner for critical communication solutions, our nurse call infrastructure served as the vital communication backbone upon which the intelligent capabilities of Fundamentum could be layered.
At RCHT, this infrastructure includes our most advanced nurse call system, IPiN Evolution – the only fully IP to bed nurse call system. This latest evolution of our nurse call solution builds on our long history of developing solutions for hospitals since 1904 and specialist nurse call solutions since the inception of the NHS. In fact, the entire RCHT site is currently being upgraded to IPiN Evolution, and the Wheal Fortune ward being next in the programme for the nurse call update perfectly coincided with the deployment of DNV Imatis’ Fundamentum platform as part of the Silent Hospital project.
IPiN Evolution is our fully integrable nurse call system which uses the latest IP to the bed technology to connect bed stations, nurse stations and communication points across a hospital site, delivering a fully digital critical care communication system. Whether it’s specific call types, integration with assistive devices or connecting with existing hospital features, IPiN Evolution provides a unique problem-solving solution which forms the core of a hospital’s workflow and patient care.
The DNV Imatis Fundamentum platform itself is an enterprise-level intelligent system that digitalises and automates workflows by leveraging data from both existing and new systems. Crucially, at RCHT, it has been expertly tailored to meet the specific needs of the site, extending the reach and functionality of IPiN Evolution by intelligently routing alerts and data to staff smartphones and working in perfect harmony with the hospital’s wider IT architecture.
How the silence works – powered by seamless integration
Imagine a postnatal ward where instead of the sound of call bells, there is a calm and peaceful ambiance. This is the reality for patients and staff on RCHT’s Wheal Fortune ward. When a patient requires assistance, their call is no longer broadcast audibly across the ward. Instead, the alert is quietly and directly routed to the standard smartphones carried by midwives and nursing staff via the integrated nurse call system.
This intelligent routing offers a multitude of benefits:
- Reduced noise pollution: Silencing the bells creates a more restful environment for patients which is crucial for recovery, especially for new mothers and their babies.
- Enhanced staff wellbeing: By minimising noise disruptions and alarm fatigue, staff experience a calmer and less stressful work environment, allowing them to focus more effectively on patient needs.
- Improved communication and response times: Real-time monitoring means staff are immediately aware of patient needs and respond promptly. Customisable alerts ensure the right information reaches the right healthcare professional, streamlining communication and improving efficiency.
- Automated escalation: The system features an automated escalation process. This ensures that no alert goes unnoticed, contributing to timely attention in critical situations.
- Flexibility and control: Staff can switch to audio alerts when necessary using a dedicated key switch, providing crucial flexibility and control within the ward.
- Data-driven improvement: The DNV Imatis Fundamentum platform collects valuable data on patient alerts and staff response times from IPiN Evolution. This data-driven approach enables continuous improvement in care delivery and helps identify areas for optimisation.
A collaborative journey towards patient-centred care
The success of the Silent Hospital project is a testament to the collaborative spirit between RCHT and its technology partners. Wandsworth Healthcare is proud to have been an integral part of this journey, providing the reliable and robust nurse call infrastructure that underpins this innovative solution.
This project isn’t just a local success story; it’s proving to be a guiding light for the future of patient care across the NHS. The impressive results have already generated considerable interest from other NHS trusts, demonstrating the wide potential for this technology to be adopted more broadly.
Looking forward, RCHT’s ambition extends beyond the postnatal ward, with plans to use the success of the Silent Hospital project to drive broader digital transformation. This includes integrating digital solutions with its new EPR system and implementing a pipeline of ‘smart hospital’ projects. These steps will further optimise efficiency and patient care across the hospital.
The Silent Hospital project demonstrates the power of intelligent technology, built upon reliable foundations like our nurse call systems, to create truly patient-centred environments. By silencing unnecessary noise and empowering healthcare professionals with seamless communication, RCHT is not just improving patient experience – they are shaping the future of compassionate and effective healthcare.
Explore how Wandsworth Healthcare, in collaboration with DNV Imatis, is delivering digital solutions like those implemented at RCHT by visiting www.wandsworthhealthcare.com/digital-patient-journey
Matt Jefferies
Commercial Director – Healthcare
With over 25 years’ experience working with NHS Trusts and Healthcare Settings, I am proud to deliver innovative solutions that improve patient care and operational efficiency. Our team collaborate with Trusts to provide tailored technology and service offerings to ensure they meet the evolving healthcare demands of the NHS and each Trust.
Our new partnership with DNV Imatis has expanded our offering to include intuitive digital solutions, helping NHS trusts enhance the digital patient journey and deliver more efficient, patient-centred and data-driven healthcare. This project showcases how this partnership will enable us to support the NHS’s digital transformation goals under the New Hospital Programme and the future of digital healthcare in the UK.