Govt mandate to NHSE requires trusts to undertake barcode scanning by 2024

The federal government has mandated that each one trusts throughout England ought to undertake barcode scanning of high-risk medical units by March 2024 to digitally rework the NHS and guarantee its long-term sustainability. 

The deadline is a transparent reflection of the very important position barcode scanning can play in levelling up the NHS’s digital maturity and infrastructure.

This has already been confirmed by the Scan4Safety initiative which, in 2016, noticed six trusts implement GS1 powered barcodes to uniquely determine each individual, product and place.

By enabling end-to-end traceability and cohesive, interoperable processes all through all the affected person pathway, the preliminary programme launched over 140 thousand hours of scientific time again into care together with virtually £5 million in recurrent stock financial savings and £9 million of non-recurrent stock reductions.

Every goal will be supported by the adoption of level of care barcode scanning powered by GS1 requirements, additional strengthening the case for widespread adoption. This in flip will help digital transformation, enhance effectivity and improve affected person security.

Scan4Safety was relaunched by NHS England in October 2022 and continues to achieve momentum. 31 per cent of trusts in England have now adopted GS1 requirements and programmes are actually being applied throughout Wales, Scotland, and Northern Eire.

Mandate units out key tech goals

Revealed on 15 June, the authorities’s 2023 mandate to NHS England has set out key goals for reducing ready lists and recovering efficiency in addition to enhancing the service’s use of expertise and its workforce.

The mandate states that any information captured should be submitted to the nationwide obligatory Medical Gadget Final result Registry (MDOR) to enhance affected person security and outcomes in procedures utilizing excessive threat medical units.

Scan4Safety and the MDOR can work in tandem to enhance the traceability of medical units from manufacture by way of to the top affected person.

This depends closely on distinctive identification as suppliers want to make sure distinctive machine identifiers (UDIs) are issued to their merchandise. Greater than 95% are already utilizing GS1 World Commerce Merchandise Numbers (GTINs) to take action.

Glen Hodgson, head of healthcare at GS1 UK, stated: “It is rather extremely encouraging to see the federal government recognise the significance of level of care barcode scanning. This mandate will act as a robust catalyst for encouraging extra organisations to harness the facility of knowledge to adapt to the challenges of right now and construct resilience for the longer term.

“We’re already supporting the following technology of Scan4Safety adopters and can develop this help to any organisation that needs to implement GS1 requirements. We stay up for seeing the influence of the programme’s continued progress within the coming months and years.”

NHS England has additionally renewed its drive for Scan4Safety adoption with launch of recent web site, out there here.

It can act as a central data hub, offering case research, updates, instruments, sources and sensible recommendation for any trusts trying to develop or embark on their very own adoption journeys.  An internet site for NHS Scotland’s Scan for Security programme can be accessed here.