High tech sensors introduced on EPUT mental health wards to enhance safety
Innovative technology is being installed on mental health wards across Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT) as part of a programme to continuously improve patient safety.
Oxehealth’s Oxevision platform, which is designed to monitor patient safety and wellbeing, will be in 17 adult and child inpatient and assessment wards by spring 2021.
EPUT’s Chief Executive Paul Scott said: “My ambition for EPUT is to provide the best and safest care possible for our patients. We are committed to doing everything we can to continually improve patient safety and new technology like Oxevision is supporting us to achieve this.
“The platform complements the vital role our clinical staff play – improving patient safety by continually monitoring their vital signs, safety and wellbeing and providing clinical insight to frontline staff.”
Oxevision consists of a secure optical sensor which remotely monitors a patient’s pulse and breathing rate 24 hours a day and alerts staff if they display activity or behaviour that may present a risk to their safety.
The sensors detect changes in skin tone and chest movements, even when patients are under bedding, reducing the need for them to be disturbed or woken for observations when they may be sleeping.
The platform is already being used on four of EPUT’s wards following a successful trial earlier this year. It will now be installed in a further 13 including psychiatric intensive care units, adult inpatient and assessment wards and child and adolescent wards.
Charlotte Wood, Director of Mental Health at Oxehealth, commented “We are hugely excited that the team at EPUT have decided to roll out Oxevision to an additional 13 wards. We look forward to expanding our partnership with them to help their clinical teams realise continuous improvements in patient safety and quality”.
Oxevision is among ground breaking technology that has been introduced to the Trust by EPUT LAB, a digital clinical innovation forum where clinicians share digital solutions to improve health and social care.