News
18th March 2024
Celebrating excellence in digitising, connecting and transforming health and care
We are delighted to announce that Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and Netcall have been shortlisted for Digital Innovator of the Year at the 2024 HSJ Digital Awards, recognising innovative digital projects transforming care delivery, enhanced efficiency and improved patient outcomes.
343 entries have been received for this year’s Digital Awards, with 165 projects and individuals meriting inclusion on the final shortlist. The high volume – and exceptional quality – of applications once again mirrors the impressive levels of innovation and care continually being developed across the UK’s healthcare system.
Following the thorough judging process, Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust and Netcall were shortlisted, ahead of the official awards ceremony to be held on 6th June 2024, with its Transforming Diagnostic Booking standing out as a real ‘success story’ worthy of a prized place on the panel’s shortlist.
Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust has embarked on a project to modernise and digitise their diagnostic booking service. A two-stage process, firstly to modernise the telephony booking so that the agents are using modern telephony software and routing capabilities, but also to digitise the booking process so that patients can engage and book digitally wherever possible, making it an easier and quicker process for them, and reducing call volumes into the booking centre. Patients are less anxious as having received a better experience and staff morale is improved, as they can deal with more patients in a timely manner and appropriately.
“We are delighted to make the shortlist along with our partner Netcall! Being a finalist for Digital Innovator of the Year in the HSJ Digital Awards 2024 will be a huge ‘pat on the back’ for our amazingly hard working and deserving team in our mission to go digital with diagnostics. Our staff always go above and beyond to improve patient outcomes and quality of service and care – and aligning with the HSJ Digital Awards programme really allows us to share our success as well as everything we’ve learnt through implementing our project.”
James Rawlinson
Director of Health Informatics at Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
The selected winners will be announced during the awards ceremony at Manchester Central on 6th June 2024. The 2024 awards judging panel was once again made up of a diverse range of highly influential and respected figures within the healthcare community, including; Olubukola (Buki) Adeyemo, Chief Executive, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust, Hatim Abdulhussein, National Clinical Lead, AI and Digital Workforce (WT&E), NHS England, Dame Margaret Whitehead, Chair, Independent Review Equity in Medical Devices and Luke Readman, Regional Director of Digital Transformation, NHS England (London).
“It always gives me great pleasure to congratulate our finalists at this stage of the judging process and this year is no exception as we acknowledge Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust for being shortlisted in the category of Digital Innovator of the Year. We can’t wait to welcome our finalists to the awards ceremony in June, celebrating their impressive achievements and jointly acknowledging our values of sharing best practice, improving patient outcomes and continuously driving for better service.”
Alastair McLellan
HSJ editor
The full list of nominees for the 2024 HSJ Digital Awards can be found at https://digitalawards.hsj.co.uk/.
Mersey and West Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has chosen Netcall to enable and support their patient engagement digital strategy. This partnership marks a significant milestone for both organisations as they work together to enhance patient care and transform healthcare operations in the region.
90% of outpatient appointments require some form of diagnostic test, so any delay in these tests can lead to postponed treatments. This impacts patient outcomes. Against the backdrop of waiting lists of 7.6 million, diagnostic performance emerges as a critical concern.
To optimise the outpatient pathway in the NHS, it is crucial to focus on solutions that streamline communication, empower patients and ultimately improve the overall healthcare experience. By implementing innovative technology and tools, hospitals can better manage referrals, appointment bookings and post-appointment support.
Through strategic implementation of technology, forward-thinking leaders have the power to transform the enduring struggle of patients waiting for healthcare services on the NHS. We explore the pressing need for patients to “wait well”
Streamline appointment booking for X-rays, CT and MRI scans. You’ll reduce manual processes and did-not-attends, while enhancing efficiency and the patient experience. You can also see more about Rotherham’s journey.