Following the patient journey through the NHS – words Alexa Wang
Many people wish they had affordable and available healthcare. So many people the world over get sick and have nobody to help or care for them and are left to suffer and even die.
All in all, the unfortunate must ‘qualify’ for treatment, and even then there’s a great amount of people who don’t that are left to fall by the wayside.
However, despite a few issues, the healthcare in the UK fairs a lot better than in many other parts of the world. The National Health Service (NHS) is unquestionably beneficial to all who use it. To have healthcare on demand is extremely fortunate for many. Still, the patient journey has a few hiccups, as well as a great many benefits too. Let’s look into the experience more closely.
Pas System
There’s a recurring theme throughout the NHS; the patient comes first. This is the defining principal on which all good healthcare is based upon. The sick are never left unmonitored, and no matter what, hospital staff must always be tethered to those in their care. However, thanks to technology, this connection is made all the stronger.
Still, the NHS have introduced a Patient Administration System, that keeps patient information safe, secure and easily accessed. Whether it’s attendance records or cancelled operations, all the information is stored for instant use. It’s a digital bridge between the staff and the patient where all hurdles are removed, stamping out delays to facilitate acute care.
It’s incredibly worthwhile for the patient too. The PAS System database keeps things running like a well-oiled machine, prioritising patient flow management for a steady and secure service. Without it, service and crucial care can be ground to a halt and fatally stalled, and this is thankfully something the NHS patients are experiencing less and less.
Barcode Implementation
One patient alone is a handful for doctors and nursing staff. While they’ll always endeavour to treat those in their care properly, the truth is that no one is immune to human error. However, human error in a hospitals case can cost lives, so it’s important it’s countered at every turn.
Barcode technology eases this burden a great deal. Whether it’s tracing patients or ensuring that no one is having wrongly mixed meds, this is yet another form of information control. Its data being put into real world usage and ensures that the right patient is getting the right care each and every time. This kind of thorough practice yields a bevy of obvious, yet glorious results for the NHS patient; safer and faster care.
A Stoppage on ‘Ineffective’ Treatments
Due to cuts and a lack of funding, some NHS services will be streamlined or erased all together. Surgeries such as tonsil removal and breast reductions will be fewer and far between on the NHS, which means a sizeable part of the patient journey is set to be gone forever. This will annually affect an estimated 100,000 people.
Consequently, the NHS in general will gradually be purposed for more serious instances of ill health. While tonsil extractions and breast reductions are still on the table if the patient issue is serious, the minor end of that spectrum will no longer be covered. All in all, the infamous cuts mean that the NHS experience is ever evolving, and the path is becoming narrower and narrower. Priorities are shifting, and so to is the patient journey.
Following the patient journey through the NHS – words Alexa Wang
