Emendo CapPlan Solution at Bedford Hospital Wins UK Health and Social Care Award

Emendo Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand: Christchurch-based healthcare solution specialists Emendo are celebrating after their CapPlan capacity planning solution scooped a prestigious healthcare sector award in the UK.

In a high-profile national ceremony held in London on 8 July, Emendo's CapPlan implementation at Bedford Hospital NHS Trust in England was named winner of the ''Adopt, Adapt and Improve" category of the national Health and Social Care Awards, which are run in partnership between the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and the Department of Health.

The Awards comprised 14 categories and attracted an impressive 4000 entries - a significant number to beat and an amazing achievement for Emendo and Bedford Hospital. More importantly than this, Emendo’s CapPlan solution has earned the ultimate seal of approval in the UK healthcare industry and this will undoubtedly make a huge difference for the company as it strives to make further inroads into the UK market.

CapPlan benefits hospitals by improving operational performance and patient care through the intelligent combination of forecasting, information and analysis.

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust was the first hospital in the UK to adopt Emendo's CapPlan capacity planning tools for patient and resource management. The Trust wanted to improve capacity planning and better manage patient flow, and saw CapPlan as an opportunity to improve on their current abilities to accurately manage hospital activity and resources.

After the success of a CapPlan pilot completed in March 2007, the solution was implemented permanently. Since the rollout, CapPlan has improved patient care and reduced the length of patient stay, as well as increasing data quality and reliability of information. The resulting efficiency improvements have saved the Trust around £600,000 per year so far.

"It's great to be recognised at an international level with this award," said Nick Burns, Emendo co-founder and Director of Global Sales & Marketing. "Everyone at Emendo is thrilled with the win, and with the ongoing success of the Bedford Hospital CapPlan implementation."

"CapPlan is making impressive and tangible improvements for the hospital's staff and patients while facilitating huge cost savings at the same time, and we're proud to have made that possible. We are seeing successful implementations in hospitals in New Zealand, Australia and Canada, and it's exciting to receive this recognition in the UK."

Bedford Hospital Chief Operating Officer Lisa Hunt, who led the hospital’s capacity planning project, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have won this award, which recognises all the work we have put in to managing capacity – ultimately making sure we have enough beds for our patients, when and where they are required."

"Using this system means we can more accurately predict activity and plan accordingly, which is particularly important during the busy winter months. Being more accurate also means we are able to be more efficient.

Bedford Hospital NHS Trust is a key reference site in the UK, and is using CapPlan to forecast its required capacity for the next five years.

The award is the second award recognition for Emendo so far this year, having recently achieved finalist position in the Canterbury Export Awards 2009.

About Emendo (www.emendo.co.nz)

Emendo was founded in 2002 by directors Bart Visscher and Nick Burns to build and commercialise capacity planning and workforce management tools and services for the healthcare industry under the CapPlan brand. Dave Tinkler and Phil Holliday from Holliday Corporation joined the board in 2005 and add significant experience in growing international businesses.

After initial successes in New Zealand – including the Canterbury District Health Board as its first client – Emendo has now made inroads in overseas healthcare sectors with projects in hospitals in Australia, the UK and Canada.

The company is currently undergoing a period of expansion with significant plans for recruitment and future growth.

About CapPlan

CapPlan is a healthcare-specific capacity planning tool which uses forecasting and real-time data to match staff and physical resources – like beds – to patient demand.

Using special algorithms, CapPlan is able to forecast future patient activity and identify potential congestion or overcapacity issues, giving staff on the ground the ability to quickly and easily monitor resources, scheduling and other critical management tasks.

One of CapPlan's major advantages is that it gives staff an overview of how a whole hospital is functioning, rather than each department operating individually. By increasing the flow and communication between departments, staff can quickly and easily see where demand is greatest and where resources can be reallocated when required.

CapPlan is especially advantageous in planning for annual events like the Christmas holiday period, as well as irregular events such as doctor's strikes.

The solution is revolutionary for hospital managers who have previously dealt with a great deal of unpredictability and are now finding that accurate forecasting is the key to more effective management.

About the Health and Social Care Awards

Now in their eighth year, the Awards seek to highlight innovation and excellence in frontline health and social care. Entries are open to any clinical or non-clinical team in the health and social care system in England, including organisations such as the NHS, Social Services, local government, charities, and the voluntary sector.

ENDS

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