Digitisation of NHS prescriptions using E-Sign secure technology for National Clinical Homecare Association (NCHA)

Case Study, Digital Transformation

June 14, 2023

The National Clinical Homecare Association (NCHA) had a requirement to harmonise prescription processing for patients in clinical home care. Existing paper-based workflows often led to unnecessary delays, and there had been high-profile cases of NHS prescriptions going ‘missing’.

E-Sign’s digital transformation team worked with stakeholders to create a scalable solution that addressed the issues related to paper-based prescription transport. The functional application linked E-Sign to Microsoft Power Automate, creating a ‘low-code’, cost effective solution that allowed healthcare providers to easily construct their bespoke digital prescription workflows, while having a single solution that could be adopted by different providers under the NCHA umbrella.

Whether introducing people to new technology around Microsoft Flow or providing extra support to smaller members of the NCHA, the E-Sign team was guided by the principles of patience and flexibility to deliver systemic change.

Key successes included a reduction in prescription process time from two days to two hours (80% reduction), 9,172kg CO2 equivalent reduction over 12 months, and £95,324.44 annual saving from kWh reduction (based on mailing). Staff also reported an improved audit log and reduction in delays, and described the system as “intuitive”, “very easy” and “more efficient”.