15 July 2015, London UK – FCMS, a provider of Out-Of-Hours medical services for the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre areas, has deployed Datix patient safety software
in line with regional Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) and General Practitioners (GPs) within the Midland and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit in a holistic approach to wider patient safety.
As one of the first Out-Of-Hours providers to install Datix, FCMS is using the system, which went live on 1st January 2015, to manage patient safety incidents and to log complaints in a bid to actively improve the healthcare for the population of the Fylde Coast and North Lancashire.
Rapid growth and the continued diversification of services prompted FCMS to invest in a new, fully automated technology solution that could manage incidents centrally across all parts of the organisation.
Maria Shaw, Risk Manager of FCMS (NW) Ltd commented, “Datix offers us the flexibility to customise the solution to the unique requirements of our organisation. From one easy-to-use system, we have the transparency, availability and traceability of critical patient safety information to meet the individual needs of our commissioners and service users. In addition, several of our CCGs had previously experienced Datix first-hand, praising the system for its powerful integration capabilities and innate ability to promote a culture of shared learning. This, coupled with a proven track record in the NHS, convinced us Datix was the perfect solution for our large and increasingly complex organisation.”
To date, 20 FCMS staff have access to Datix and the aim is to have over 50 users in total trained with the help of Midland and Lancashire Commissioning Support Unit (MSLCSU). The new Datix solution has been readily accepted and adopted by staff at FCMS who cite real-time visibility and central data collection as the most significant, immediate benefits.
At a glance, senior managers can see which incidents and complaints have been fed into the Datix system and who is handling them without having to wait for the next team or management meeting. FCMS anticipates that the dynamic availability of data will help identify trends and potential problem areas, leading to faster, improved decision-making and the prevention of recurring incidents.
The Datix system is already proving a valuable risk management tool particularly with regards to Duty of Candour, whereby all NHS healthcare providers are legally required to be open and transparent with service users about their care and treatment, including when it goes wrong. The advanced reporting and monitoring capabilities of Datix enable FCMS to track incidents where a clear and accurate audit trail is necessary.
Using Datix, FCMS has standardised the format of reporting to the organisation’s commissioners, a move that has freed up time for staff who no longer have to rely on multiple spreadsheets and word documents for regular updates.
Jonathan Hazan, Chief Executive of Datix, said, “Changes in the NHS landscape mean that incident management and patient feedback are playing a far greater role in commissioning decisions and the redesign of healthcare services. Datix helps front-line service providers like FCMS foster a culture of safety across the organisation while saving time and increasing productivity to drive excellence in patient care.”
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About Fylde Coast Medical Services Ltd
FCMS is a provider of Out of Hours medical services for the Blackpool, Flyde and Wyre areas. The company was established in 1994 as a non-profit making GP co-operative. It now has more than a hundred clinical members and serves over 450,000 people across Lancashire.
Apart from the Out of Hours service provided for GPs, which is integrated with the NHS 111 service for the area, FCMS manages the front Gateway at the Blackpool Victoria Hospital Urgent Care Centre and the out of hours dental service for the area. It runs The Silver Line, a national free confidential telephone helpline offering information, friendship and advice to older people in the United Kingdom, and provides space support for the local drug and alcohol service.
For more information, please visit: www.fcms-nw.co.uk
About Datix
Datix has been a pioneer in the field of patient safety since 1986 and is today the leading supplier of software for patient safety, risk management, incident and adverse event reporting. Datix aims to help healthcare organisations build a culture and practice that drives excellence in patient safety. It recruits and retains people committed to the healthcare sector and continually invests in its software and services to ensure that it integrates best practice and learning.
Datix is focused on the health and social care sector. Its customers include public and private hospitals, primary care providers, GP surgeries, mental health and ambulance service providers. Its clients also include organisations delivering care home and domiciliary care services. Within the UK this includes more than 75% of the National Health Service. Internationally the Datix client base is growing rapidly and includes large scale deployments in Canada and the USA as well as clients in Europe, Australia and the Middle East.
Datix is headquartered in London, United Kingdom. To learn more, visit www.datix.co.uk or call +44 (0)20 8971 1971
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