Innovation 365: Frontline Stories 2021

East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust 

Demonstrating the power of Robotic Process Automation (RPA), East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s (ELHT) GP referrals automation project revolutionised a previously paper-based process, and aided integration with NHS Spine. As part of its dedication to patient care, it sought to streamline this service with NDL’s RPA platform.  

Utilising large-scale automation, the Trust is now able to process up to 70 referrals every day, accelerating access to essential patient services. As a result, the Trust has found significant improvements in data quality and accuracy following the RPA implementation.  Other benefits include time savings equivalent to two and a half FTEs, and the estimated saving of over one million sheets of paper annually.  

Conwy County Borough Council  

Supporting a population of over 100,000 residents - including a significant number of elderly citizens - it was crucial that Conwy Council migrated 12 social service records before the expiration of its legacy system. Using RPA, the council was able to save over 2,000 working days through an automated migration.  

Using a combination of both attended and unattended bots to complete this mass migration within just three months, the council scaled its digital workforce from 10 to 40 bots throughout the process. Demonstrating the power of RPA when processing unstructured information, the council’s Social Services teams now have full access to records on the country-wide Wales Community Care Information System (WCCIS). 

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council 

To keep up with the evolving demands of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wigan Council’s iESE Digital Transformation Award winning response included the creation of an innovative COVID-19 test booking eForm. As the first local authority in the UK to roll-out an effective digital booking solution, Wigan’s dedication to resident safety produced exceptional results.  

Processing over 1,000 COVID tests across numerous test centres each week, its test booking eForm facilitated the better collection of information and resourcing of council time. Allowing the council to review and analyse local data, it better equipped Wigan in launching its responsive surge and hotspot testing sites.  

Home Group 

Housing association and charity Home Group identified opportunities to streamline a number of its data capture methods, in order to best serve its tenants and staff. Ensuring its care and support workers had access to up-to-date information regarding tenant wellbeing, key risks, and ongoing assessments, it introduced mobile working for its teams operating out in the community.  

Using NDL’s mobile application platform, the housing association was able to create an app for use on handheld Microsoft Surface tablet devices. Packed with features to best assist during administrative tasks, the app allows Home Group colleagues to capture notes, information, attachments, and signatures in a digital format - without returning to base to rekey.  

Circle Integrated Care  

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Circle adopted a digital-first approach to its services. As part of this initiative, the organisation sought to digitise its Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) Patient Related Outcome Measures (PROMS). Using NDL’s eForm platform, Circle was able to send its patients digital forms to complete 24 hours prior and six weeks after their initial appointments, via URL link.  

Previously delivered over the phone, these communications are essential when assessing effective patient outcomes benchmarked by the CCG across the healthcare sector. Since introducing its PROMs eForm, Circle has seen completion rates increase to 60%, improved staff morale and enhanced data quality. Significant time savings also mean that its Healthcare Assistants have more time for the work that really matters.