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What is innovation?
Innovation is the development of a completely new product, invention, or service. Typically, these have the potential to be developed as a commercial offering for sale. As a Trust, we will support our innovators to develop their ideas and inventions, and where possible bring these through to market.
Why is healthcare innovation important?
Innovation is an important element of healthcare, leading to advancements in how we deliver our care. Whether this is a technological development, or a simple product with the potential to revolutionise how we do things.
Innovation at RCHT
Innovation is a strategic commitment, both in our business to serve the health needs of our county, but also to our creative and entrepreneurial workforce. Over the last decade we have invested in a small, but efficient Innovation Team. They report to the Director of Performance and Strategy and alongside providing practice support and guidance to our innovators they are responsible for the oversight and delivery of our memorandums of understanding between partner organisations that include Falmouth University, University of Exeter and University of Plymouth.
Contacts
The Trust’s Innovation Leaders are:
- Dr Frazer Underwood, Associate Clinical Professor and Consultant Nurse
- Rebecca Cave, Strategy Manager
The Trust’s Innovation Leaders are supported by Innovation Consultant Dr Alan McLeod of Healthcare Innovation Support
They can all be contacted by emailing rch-tr.RCHTInnovation@nhs.net.
Our innovations
Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) Infusion Alert Tag
The purpose of the alert tag is to identify / alert staff to not re-programme infusion pumps once Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy or SACT infusions have commenced. It was identified that the SACT drugs were being purchased in pre-made bags, which meant an increased use of part volume infusions were taking place, to receive the correct dose for the patient’s height and weight. The benefit of having the tag is to mitigate risk of overdosing patients with SACT and improve patient safety.
The tag is a durable, flexible, wipeable, plastic, reusable tag (that complies with infection control) that can be hooked onto the drip stand and rest on the top of the infusion pump. The tag includes a box in which the volume required for the infusion is specified with clear instructions to not reprogram the pump once the infusion has completed.
In May we were delighted to receive notification from the Intellectual Property Office that two of our Innovators’ designs have received UK Design Registration.
The Transfusion Take-Down Tag and the SACT Infusion Administration Alert Tag designs are now protected from being copied for up to 25 years, allowing the products to be safely commercialised.
We have also expanded our range of SACT Tags to ensure a perfect fit for the infusion pump being used. In this way, the transparent flap will always allow the settings on the pump to be visible while still ensuring that a conscious effort is required to lift the Tag out of the way to make adjustments.
Shown below is the original SACT Tag in the centre and two concept demonstrating samples that were used to get the dimensions correct for different makes of infusion pump. Please note that these dimension-checking samples were not printed on the transparent base material which is why their front flaps are showing as white rather than being transparent.
Expanding Range of SACT Infusion Alert Tags to fit Different Makes of Infusion Pump
In the centre is the original SACT Tag that was designed to fit the Baxter EvoIQ pumps used at Royal Cornwall Hospitals. This Tag is also a perfect fit for the Fresenius infusion pump. On the left is the dimension-checking sample for Hospira pumps and on the right is the version that is a perfect fit for B Braun’s Infusomat pump. Neither of these dimension-checking samples have the transparent front flaps which will be part of the final product.
Concept Demonstrating Version for Hospira Infusion Pump
This shows how the SACT Infusion Alert Tag can be adjusted to fit any make of infusion pump. Note that the front flap will be transparent on the production version to allow the pump settings to be clearly visible.
Blood Transfusion Take Down Tag
The Transfusion take down tag is a durable, flexible, wipeable, plastic, reusable tag (complying with infection control) that can be hung on the drip stand next to a unit of blood to clearly display the time by which the unit needs to be taken down.
The requirement for this tag as per BSQR 2005 is to complete Blood Transfusions within four hours of removal from a cold chain to ensure patient safety and reduce the risk of bacterial infection. The tag acts as a visual prompt to increase shared awareness and empower all staff and the patient, if able, to alert someone to take the blood unit down in time.
The Transfusion Take-Down Tag has been showcased at the annual SHOT symposium where we began marketing the product for sale to other NHS Trusts Annual SHOT Symposium – Serious Hazards of Transfusion (shotuk.org)
My Sunrise App
The Sunrise app is a digital platform to better inform and support patients through their cancer treatment. The platform is also helping to relieve some of the huge current demands on staff – supporting patients out of hospital where possible, improving efficiencies and outcomes, and saving NHS resources.
Visit the MySunrise app’s website.
To enquire or purchase any of the innovation we showcase here, please email us:
Page last reviewed: 19 January 2024
