Interceptus Implementation – a global first for Herbert Healthcare and GS1 UK

Herbert Healthcare has recently rolled out their patient wristband software application, Interceptus across the Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. This represents a global first as Herbert Healthcare’s Interceptus software is the first GS1 UK Certified Healthcare solution available in the UK.

Although wristbands across the six sites of the Trust now comply with current regulations, this was not the case a few months ago. Back then with the NPSA and GS1 guidelines for patient identification on the horizon, the Trust faced a number of major challenges.

They had produced adult wristbands which would conform to the regulations, but despite their best efforts, were unable to get their existing PAS to produce the correct format for paediatric wristbands. There was simply too much information to sit on the tiny wristbands. In addition the Trust’s wristband printers were not capable of producing GS1 barcodes as part of their built-in barcode fonts.

Step in Herbert Healthcare and its revolutionary Interceptus software application. Interceptus enables the existing PAS to produce NPSA and GS1 compliant wristbands which can be printed by existing printers. Acknowledging the significant efficiencies that Interceptus would bring, the Trust purchased Herbert Healthcare’s solution.

When it came to implementation any fears that the Trust had about downtime during the switchover from the PAS to Interceptus were quickly allayed by the thorough programme of pre-implementation testing undertaken by the Herbert Healthcare team.

Michelle Peet from the Nottinghamshire Health Informatics Service commented,

“The installation process was straightforward, supported at every stage with clear documentation. The impact upon end users was minimal and no training was required as the processes remained the same - only the output on the wristband was new.”

The Trust noted that significant benefits of Interceptus included:

• Flexibility that enabled the production of bespoke wristband templates specific to an area/department
• The immediate migration to GS1 1D barcodes (GS1 Code 128) and the smooth transition to GS1 2D Barcodes at a later date
• The ability to print multiple templates on the same printer
• A stronger clearer type on wristbands
• Standard NHS 3-3-4 number formatting
• The creation of more space for additional information (due to the barcode being smaller)

The system’s flexibility means that Interceptus not only ensures compliance today but as Chris Dickens of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust stated,

“Interceptus has ‘future proofed’ the Trust’s systems for many years.”

Herbert Healthcare has a commitment to continue to further improve software and ensure that it meets new standards and regulations while remaining hardware agnostic.

 

Find out more about Interceptus Wristband Solutions

For more information about how Interceptus can help your organisation or department meet NPSA and GS1 compliance, please contact us