A new project that uses smart technology to make hospitals a quieter and calmer environment for patients and staff is being showcased this month.
The Silent Hospital Project is led by the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT) in partnership with University of Plymouth’s Centre for Health Technology , UK engineering company TClarke, and Scandinavian healthcare software company DNV Imatis.
It is set to transform the Royal Cornwall Hospital’s postnatal ward through introducing a digital integration platform and software suite that reduce noise levels by silencing patient call bells and driving the alerts to mobile devices. And if it proves successful, the smart technology could be rolled out to other areas of the hospital.
Staff often suffer from ‘alarm fatigue’ which means they are less alert to important calls due to the sheer volume of alarm noises on a ward. It is anticipated that this new system will allow staff to identify and respond to the needs of patients more efficiently and in a more relaxed atmosphere.
The project will be the subject of a presentation and panel discussion at the European Healthcare Design Conference, at the Royal College of Physicians in London from 12-14 June 2023.
As well as detailing the first phase of the journey to a fully digitally enabled new building, the Silent Hospital workshop will also cover the evolution of a digital health ‘ecosystem’ for Cornwall, bringing together citizens, the NHS, academia, and business to work in partnership.
“The New Hospital Programme schemes represent a vital opportunity to transform the NHS through digital technology by addressing real-world challenges and delivering end-user focused solutions. Cross-sector and interdisciplinary partnerships are key to the success of this transformation and I am delighted to be a part of the team.”
Roberta Fuller, Programme Director for Women and Children’s Hospital Programme at RCHT comments:
“We are delighted to have been selected from more than 170 submissions to highlight our pioneering Silent Hospital Project at the 9th European Healthcare Design Conference in London. This is part of our long-term digital strategy for the Women and Children’s Hospital Programme, and we are excited to be collaborating with colleagues at DNV Imatis, TClarke and the University of Plymouth. This alliance of skills and capabilities provides optimum conditions for evidence-based digital health innovation and for health system transformation. Most importantly, the development of SMART hospital features will enable RCHT to deliver outstanding real-time benefits to patients, staff, and visitors to the hospital.”
The Silent Hospital Project is the first scheme to be trialled as part of RCHT’s digital strategy for the new Women and Children’s Hospital Programme, which will complete in 2028 as one of the Government’s New Hospital Programme Cohort 2 schemes.
As part of Cornwall’s largest ever investment in healthcare, all paediatric, maternity, neonatal and gynaecology services will be provided in one dedicated building for the first time, leading to more efficient deployment of staff and an improved patient experience.
Construction of the main hospital is expected to start in 2025, subject to Treasury approval of the scheme’s outline business case.
