Nuffield aims for ‘paperless’ hospital finance

Nuffield hospitals, the UK independent hospitals group, has signed a contract with document management specialists Version One to implement its electronic form design, automated document delivery and electronic payment technologies across its 40 hospitals.

The Version One software will replace Nuffield’s current manual processes, which involves signing and posting cheques with hard-copy remittance advices, and the printing-out and faxing of purchase orders.

The hospital group already uses procurement software and a finance system from US software developers Lawson and needed a document management system that would integrate.

Chris Cook, IT director for Nuffield hospitals told E-Health Insider: “We chose Version One as it was a good fit with Lawson. The two work hand in hand and are tried and tested, particularly in best practice hospitals in the US."

He added that Version One provided a model for efficiency of remittance and inventory – reducing a lot of paperwork handling and administration work.”

Matt Oxley, associate director for procurement and property at Nuffield added: “We identified the need for electronic document management technologies that could tightly integrate into our new Lawson system, further streamlining our processes and saving us time and money.”

Cook added: “Staff will find that the new system will save them a lot of time and money through streamlining the purchase orders and remittance advice procedures. We will also save on printing, stationery and postage costs in the long run.

“Patients would also hopefully see the benefits. We should be able to provide a more efficient customer service for one thing, and with the press of a button, instead of papers being sent, they can get information e-mailed or faxed over. Hopefully, it will improve efficiency.”

Nuffield has designed its own purchase orders and remittance advices and will electronically deliver them directly from its Lawson system. By a touch of a button, directly from the desktop, the documents will be emailed out or automatically sent to the recipient’s fax machine.

In addition, payments to suppliers will be made electronically using Version One’s DbBACS-IP module.

Nuffield is now piloting the software in three of its 40 sites – Ipswich, Cambridge and Bury St-Edmunds. They hope to install the software in the remaining 37 sites in January next year, with full implementation completed by next July.

By next July it says at least 400 users will operate the system across the 40 Nuffield sites, and Cook says that security has been a prime concern.

“Around 10 people at each site will be authorised to use the software, however anyone can use the system to generate payments, remittance advices and purchase orders , so long as they have the right level of authority granted to them. The system will be monitored by the managers, who designed the system with Version One and will ensure it is not being used improperly.”

He added that it was necessary for the business to advance and move away from current paper-based systems.

“The ultimate aim is to become paperless. Most modern efficient companies should now easily be able to become paperless in standard areas and so in anticipation of the paperless patient records system, we thought it was time to move towards making finance paperless first.

Cook said: “Feedback so far has been great. They all like the system and are enjoying the reduced paperwork loads.”

Oxley added: “The savings of time will allow skilled staff to be redeployed so that they can focus on activities where they can add value. As a modern and forward-thinking organisation, we are always looking at ways to further streamline our processes whilst making substantial cost and efficiency savings.

“Version One’s technologies which are an integral part of a modern ERP system, will help Nuffield stay ahead of the competition.”

Tony Bray, director of Version One said: “Our document management and imaging software has been helping businesses reduce their paper consumption for nearly eighteen years. We are delighted to have Nuffield hospitals as one of our valued customers.”

Version One says its software is backed by a carbon-neutral initiative, which will see it plant broad-leaved trees to help offset the carbon emissions emitted by the software.