The rollout of VitalPAC – which enables clinical staff to record observations data electronically – begins on 13 March on Sandwich Bay and St Margaret’s wards at Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, Margate. Teams on these wards will use the system for a month to ensure its smooth running. It will then gradually be launched on all wards across the Trust.
When it is fully up and running, nurses will be able to record patients’ vital signs electronically into handheld computers at the bedside and this data will be able to be assessed by any clinician from anywhere in the hospital.
VitalPAC automatically analyses this information, along with data such as blood test results stored in other hospital databases, and identifi es priority patients using an early warning score. An urgent alert is given if the score reveals the patient to be in need of immediate medical attention.
Staff at other Trusts have found the system quick and easy to learn but full training will of course be given to every member of staff who will be using VitalPAC. This will be via a ‘super user’ system – certain members of staff will receive advanced training and will then share their knowledge with their colleagues.
