GHP December 2015

ghp December 2015 | 21 section Demonstrator sites At GS1 UK, we work closely with the Department of Health, the NHS in England and industry through a collaborative approach to ensure the adoption and implementation of our standards is perfectly seamless. When the eProcurement strategy was approved, we took a real step forward for the industry by mandating the use of GS1 standards in healthcare. And with new regulations underway – Unique Device Identification (UDI) regulations in the US and expected soon in Europe, as well as the forthcoming European Falsified Medicines Directive (FMD) – we’ve got a real opportu- nity to drive the adoption of GS1 standards. Six NHS Acute Trusts in England will soon become demonstrator sites of excellence. Each of these six sites – covering a range of trust sizes, services offered and complexity of treatments – will be funded by the Department of Health to show, in a real-life setting, the benefits that GS1 standards bring in healthcare. This initiative will give invaluable insight into the practical challenges and opportunities of adopting GS1 stand- ards in a live healthcare environment and will provide a true validation of the real costs and benefits that can be achieved. So far, a number of Trusts have made great pro- gress against the adoption timetable – for example Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust and Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have both been rec- ognised for their significant advances in healthcare, driven by GS1 standards. What’s next? Although there are unprecedented challenges for the NHS, through standards and investing in digital platforms, improved staff organisation and a better approach to purchasing, the certainty and transpar- ency of information will greatly increase efficiency and productivity across the NHS, reducing paperwork and freeing up budget – and of course releasing time to care. The industry is embracing the transformation of the NHS in England – they know that adopting GS1 stand- ards is the right thing to do. They know that by using GS1 unique identification numbers – which can be applied to patients, medicines, surgical instruments and patient records – the industry commits to provid- ing a common foundation that will improve confidence in care delivery. For this change to happen, everyone must play their part – from executive boards and procurement and facilities managers to nurses and clinicians. The next step is for the industry to work together towards one shared vision: to enable England to become a global leader in the provision of digital health and care ser- vices that improve patient safety and transparency. It’s all about what we can do and how we can move to the next step. We are ready – are you? For more information please visit www.gs1uk.org/ healthcare regulation & policy