Doncaster & Bassettlaw NHS Trust Case Study
When the physiotherapists at Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust reviewed the presentations given to them by suppliers of Lone Worker protection systems, one particular company stood out from the others – Argyll. Initially supplied to 15 physiotherapists, Argyll’s Mobicare service has now been extended to 165 units and is now being used by Community Midwives and is soon to be rolled out to the Estates Department and Facilities staff.
“The need for Lone Worker support was identified by our Physiotherapy Department”, says Ian Soulsby, Heath & Safety Manager at Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospital Foundation NHS Trust. “We arranged for a number of companies to give us presentations and the physiotherapists felt most comfortable with the Mobicare service”.
Argyll’s Mobicare service enables Lone Workers to summon assistance from a mobile phone or specialist device should they find themselves in a potentially hazardous situation. The system is monitored by Argyll’s integrated control room through which the Trust manages and monitors the locations of its physiotherapists and community midwives, time at risk and provides them with effective escalation procedures 24/7.
The Solution
Chosen by the Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for its innovative technology and total solutions package, the Mobicare system provides the Lone Worker with reassurance knowing he or she is just a single button press away from quickly and discreetly summoning assistance should they feel at risk. Using a preconfigured button on their mobile phone, they can issue a duress signal, which instantly alerts Argyll’s 24/7 staffed control centre and simultaneously opens a voice channel enabling operators to listen in. When an alert is received, Argyll’s trained operators put into effect an agreed incident management procedure, and if required, use existing links with the police to ensure a swift response. Sophisticated voice recording ensures that every incident is captured and can be produced as evidence if required.
“The major benefits from our trial of Mobicare was its ease of use and ability to make staff feel safer knowing that someone was there if needed”, concluded Ian Soulsby. “We don’t want our staff to be attacked or put in any kind of danger which is why we are rolling out a further 150 Mobicare systems to our most vulnerable staff members”.
Argyll is providing Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospital NHS Foundation Trust with a total solutions package that includes Mobicare, operator response, tracking, training, configuration with the mobile network and ongoing support. A winner of the Top 40 Hospitals Award for the seventh year running, Doncaster & Bassetlaw Hospital NHS Foundation Trust comprises of three hospital sites, Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Bassetlaw Hospital and Montagu Hospital. These are complimented by outpatient clinics at Retford Hospital and elderly rehabilitation beds at Tickhill Hospital. Serving a population of 410,000 in Bassetlaw and Doncaster, and employ over 5500 staff. In 2005/06, the Trust treated over 152,000 patients in A&E, saw over 93,000 new outpatients, 117,000 patients completed their courses of treatment and 4193 babies were delivered.
Further Information
For further information on the Argyll Mobicare Solution:
