Tech trial at Harlow’s Princess Alexandra Hospital shown to speed up ambulance patient handovers at A&E

A trial of new technology at four hospitals in the region – including Harlow’s Princess Alexandra – has been shown to speed up handovers of ambulance patients at accident and emergency (A&E) departments.

As well as enabling paramedics to get back on the road more quickly, the scheme has resulted in improved patient care, boosted staff satisfaction and morale, and reduced NHS costs by alleviating pressure on hospitals.

The trial was part of a £1 million NHS England project to identify ways to improve the speed and reliability of transferring vital patient data between ambulances and hospitals.

Poor mobile signal and unreliable Wi-Fi connections can cause delays in transferring data and loss of access to key information when crews are waiting to hand over patients.

The trial provided £50,000 for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) to install four boxes from Excelerate Technology outside A&E departments at Princess Alexandra Hospital and hospitals in Colchester, Peterborough and Luton to help boost connectivity.

Once connected to the boxes through their iPads, ambulance crews were able to reconnect automatically every time they were in the vicinity.

A recent review of the trial, which began in December 2023, found that benefits of better connectivity and improved data speeds included:

• Improved patient care: Enhanced connectivity ensured accurate, real-time updates to care records, reducing clinical risks and improving outcomes

• Faster handovers: Reliable connections shortened delays, enabling ambulances to return to service quickly

• Increased staff satisfaction: Reduced frustrations with connectivity allowed clinicians to focus on care, boosting morale

• Operational efficiency: Faster patient handovers alleviate pressure on hospitals and reduce NHS costs.

The report by NHS England says the trial’s success has prompted plans for additional deployments across sites in the EEAST region where Wi-Fi connectivity is an issue. Other ambulance trusts have expressed interest in adopting similar solutions.

Neil Godfrey, EEAST’s chief digital information officer (interim), said: “When our crews lose their connection outside hospitals, their clinical apps stop being able to pull information from our Computer Aided Dispatch system, which prevents them uploading information to our key partners.

“Thanks to the new trial at these four hospitals, we’ve been able to consistently access the Summary Care Records and National Record Locator. This means our crews can view patients’ end-of-life and mental health plans, giving them access to crucial information.

“We remain committed to refining and developing the system to deliver robust connectivity to help crews make the right clinical decisions for our patients, reduce hospital handover times and allow them to get back on the road to tend to other patients.”