Advanced has announced that NHS Scotland is using its clinical patient management software, Adastra, to redesign its urgent care services for 5.5 million citizens, improving the exchange of clinical data between clinicians and healthcare services.
The latest implementation is part of the Scottish government’s new scheme to help all of its hospitals cope with the number of A&E admissions during the pandemic. The government has been urging patients to access urgent care services by ringing NHS 24 111. While people can continue to call 999 or go directly to A&E in emergencies, those with non-life threatening conditions who would usually visit A&E should call NHS 24 111.
Patients calling NHS 24 111 and requiring treatment at A&E will now be booked an appointment, at which point their clinical information will be transferred into Adastra for the seamless management of care in A&E. Those not requiring A&E admission will be able to arrange a call back or make an appointment to go to the most appropriate service – whether that be an out-of-hours GP, minor injury clinic or mental health assessment.
Adastra provides the consistent data flow between clinicians and healthcare services by ensuring that, when a patient arrives at an urgent care service, their medical records can be viewed instantly. What’s more, clinicians can record the care they are providing and send further details to the patient’s GP. Adastra links to Advanced’s document management solution Docman, which is used by all GP practices in Scotland, delivering end-to-end care.
“With emergency departments overstretched, the Scottish government’s scheme couldn’t come at a more critical time,” says Ric Thompson, Managing Director – Health & Care, at Advanced. “We are already starting to see a drop in A&E attendance, which suggests that some patients who would normally visit A&E are choosing to get care elsewhere. The implementation of Adastra has been pivotal in the management of urgent care during Covid-19, helping NHS Scotland signpost citizens to the right care at the right time.”
Adastra has been used in Scotland for the last 17 years to manage out-of-hours and unscheduled care. The extension of the tool to support urgent care services, as well as Covid-19 hubs, across the whole of Scotland is testament to its success.
Ric adds: “Our clinical patient management tool is the result of years of development and input from healthcare and IT professionals. We are confident it will benefit Scotland’s urgent care services both now and in the years to come. Adastra is also used by more than 85% of NHS 111 services in the UK. We see it becoming a blueprint for other healthcare providers. Quite simply, it provides the continuity of care that both clinicians and patients need.”
