EHI’s industry round up 31.08.2010

This month’s industry round up covers the launch of a new patient wristband from JL Group, a new clinical correspondence system from SRC, and improvements to Imprivata’s OneSign single sign-on and context management system. There is also news of contract renewals and wins, and the award of an international information security management standard to NHS City and Hackney.

Welsh Assembly Government chooses Zircadian to manage junior doctor hours

The Welsh Assembly Government has renewed its investment in Zircadian’s Junior Doctors’ software for a further three years. The software helps the Assembly and health boards manage the working hours of more than 3,000 junior doctors, to make sure they comply with the New Deal and European Working Time Directive. The Assembly first chose the web-based system ten years ago, when the New Deal was introduced.

Dudley Group of Hopspitals uses SMART e-rostering software

The Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is using SMART’s eHL solution to manage shift working for more than 1,500 staff across its fifty wards and departments. The trust expects improved governance of working time regulations with more accurate records of staff working hours and overtime from the system, which can be accessed by managers and staff remotely, and links with the trust’s ESR and payroll systems.

JL Group wins patient wristband contract

NHS Supply Chain has awarded a multi-year contract to Lancashire-based JL Group to provide a patented range of hospital patient wristband products under the brand name PATIENTBAND. Patient data, which can include barcodes and photographs, is printed on a wristband and replicated onto patient labels at the same time, to improve patient safety. The company says its wristband products comply with 100% of the NPSA’s 2007 Safer Practice Notice specifications, and that they are already in use in a number of NHS trusts, including Shrewsbury and Telford and Harrogate and District.

St Andrew’s Healthcare uses Imprivata OneSign

St Andrew’s Healthcare, a mental health charity, is using Imprivata OneSign to provide its 3,500 employees with access to a range of applications via single sign-on and strong authentication with smart cards. The rollout was completed in June 2010 across the organisation’s four sites in Basildon, Birmingham, Mansfield and Northampton. The charity says the deployment should help it to ensure that only authorised staff access patient information, helping it to meet regulatory requirements. Staff have more efficient access systems and a self-service password reset module that should cut the 400 password reset calls made to the IT helpdesk each month.

Imprivata integrates new tech in OneSign

Imprivata has launched the latest version of its single sign on product, OneSign 4.5. The product features Imprivata’s Secure Walk-Away software, which provides automatic desktop locking when the user moves away from the computer. It also provides enhancements to existing OneSign features including one touch roaming and location awareness.

SRC launches clinical correspondence system

SRC has launched a web-based clinical correspondence solution developed in partnership with Bluewire Technologies. The system integrates with the WinScribe digital dictation system supplied by SRC and allows NHS organisations to create, manage and control documents from draft to approval. It also provides options for delivering them to GPs and other recipients. SRC says the move is a response to feedback showing that customers want to move “beyond” digital dictation.

Streets Heaver does digital pen deal with Ubisys

Streets Heaver, a supplier of administrative and clinical systems to independent hospitals, has announced a partnership with digital pen specialist Ubisys so that digital pen and paper functionality can be integrated into its Clinical Manager and Compucare systems. The pens allow clinicians to write reports on specially formatted paper, and the pen strokes transmitted by docked computers or mobile phones for conversion into electronic format.

PCT awarded international standard for information security management

NHS City and Hackney says it has become the first NHS body to be awarded the ISO27001 certification for information security management systems for the whole organisation. The primary care trust started the process of certification in early 2009, with the help of Red Island Consulting. It was then audited by Bureau Veritas and awarded certification this month. Tim Wilson, associate director of informatics, said: "NHS City and Hackney aims to be recognised as an organisation adhering to the highest level of information security best practice. Certification to ISO27001 helps to fulfil this objective."