Cambio signs ‘landmark’ PFM deal with Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership

Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust (CWPT) has signed a five-year contract with Cambio Healthcare Systems to implement its patient flow management (PFM) system, in what the supplier labelled a “landmark deal”.

Won in an open tender, the deal will see Cambio’s PFM rolled out across all mental health inpatient sites in acute services, including Caludon Centre, St Michael’s Hospital, Stanley and Pembleton wards at the Manor site and Brooklands, a purpose-built 100-bed hospital at Marston Green with six separate specialist units providing inpatient assessment and treatments for adults and children.

Implementation will start later this year, with the PFM installed a ward-by-ward basis.

Only basic information will be available initially to help staff become accustomed to the system, before more complex functionality is added.

The move is part of CWPT’s digital strategy, which identified the need to improve efficiencies at the trust by replacing paper-based processess with digital solutions.

The PFM will work in parallel with the trust’s existing clinical systems and will help prevent the duplication of information. The system will allow hospital staff to manage admissions, transfers and discharges to remove inefficiency and hold-ups, especially those that prevent patients being discharged on time.

It is shown to reduce the administrative burden on nurses particularly, releasing more time for direct patient care.

Meanwhile, electronic touchscreens on every ward will enable staff have an “at-a-glance view” of bed management and patient flow.

Jon Martin, the trust’s solution architect, said: “The ability to capture and share real-time information about patients across multi-disciplinary teams will be hugely beneficial to both staff and patients.

“Having an instant picture of patients and their treatment and potential bottlenecks will help end delays in care, transfers and discharge.’

The implementation of the PFM will also help with the sharing of information as part of the Merit Vanguard programme, a partnership of four mental health trusts in the West Midlands focused on improving the delivery of regional mental health services.

The contract award followed a “mini-tender” competition in which Cambio came out top.

The Swedish outfit, which has offices in Reading, UK, called the contract a “landmark deal”.

Tina Hanlon, Cambio’s general manager and clinical solutions director for patient flow, said: “The concept of using flow principles to improve patient care is gaining real traction, as even small improvements deliver significant savings.

“PFM helps drive the patient journey which leads to better, safer care, while improving work flows is shown to have a direct impact on the efficiency and smooth running of a hospital and staff morale.”