What are the benefits of Scan4Safety?
The Scan4Safety programme is focused on improving patient safety and care. The benefits include:
Patient safety – Obtaining an accurate positive patient ID ahead of any patient intervention. Counterfeit and falsified products and devices can be identified to prevent harm and reduce the risk of Never Events.
Product recalls – Products can be easily traced, so in the event of a product recall, they can quickly be removed from circulation.
Inventory management -Stock availability can be monitored in real time, eliminating the need for manual stocktaking, and allowing better use of clinical time by reducing administrative activities.
Post-market surveillance – Items used on, or in, a patient, can be captured at the point of use and recorded directly in the patient record. Products and devices can be widely surveilled while on the market to monitor patient outcomes and adverse events.
Are there any examples of successful implementation of Scan4Safety in the NHS organisations?
Yes, the Scan4Safety demonstrator site programme successfully reached completion. The six demonstrator sites were:
· Derby Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (now University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS FT)
· Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
· North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust
· Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
· Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust
· University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
And Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, which independently took the decision to implement Scan4Safety.
Is Scan4Safety an initiative rolled out across all four nations?
Yes, the Scan4Safety programme teams in England, Scotland, and Wales, along with colleagues in Northern Ireland, are all focused on improving patient safety through enhanced traceability of medical devices. The four nations are working in collaboration to ensure there is consistency in approach.
Is national funding available for implementation of Scan4Safety locally?
No, currently no national funding is available but that may change in the future.
However, NHS England has a centrally funded agreement with GS1 to accelerate the use of GS1 standards across NHS organisations. The partnership enables NHS trusts to use GS1 standards, starting with the patient wristband, and extending to Location Manager and consultancy. Find Out more about GS1 standards in healthcare.
NHS Supply Chain is working on the Inventory Management Solution programme which will enable local system integrations and point of care scanning, which in turn will support and accelerate wider Scan4Safety adoption in the NHS trusts. Find out more about IMS programme.
What information can be captured using Scan4Safety?
Local implementations of Scan4Safety can enable capturing data related to Product, Place, Patient, Procedure, Staff and Equipment.
Is implementation of Scan4Safety mandatory?
No, Scan4Safety is not currently mandatory however, the government’s 2023 mandate to NHS England has set out key objectives for enhancing the service’s use of technology including the adoption of point of care barcode scanning of high-risk medical devices and submission to the national, mandatory Medical Device Outcome Registry.
Is use of the GS1 standard for Scan4Safety mandatory?
GS1 standards for every product and every place are mandated for trusts and suppliers as part of the NHS eProcurement Strategy and are the preferred standards for device identification both in the UK and internationally.
The GS1 Global Service Relation Number (GSRN) for every person is also mandated in the in the following NHS data standards for Automatic Identification and Data Capture (AIDC):
DAPB0108: Automatic Identification and Data Capture
DCB1077: AIDC for Patient Identification
Each NHS trust in England has membership with GS1 UK in order to use and implement GS1 standards. For successful implementation GS1 standards are advised as per the original Scan4Safety programme guidance.
Does Scan for Safety supports compliance with the new Medical Devices Regulations?
Yes, Scan4Safety supports compliance with the new Medical Device Regulations that came into effect from 1 July 2024. This UK legislation requires manufacturers to: · assign Unique Device Identifiers (UDI) codes to medical devices before they are placed on the market, · require reusable medical devices to bear a UDI carrier (for example, a barcode) that is permanent and readable after each process on the device itself, · include requirements for Basic UDI device identifiers (Basic UDI-DIs) to identify medical device models. Find out more
Do Inventory Management System providers need to comply with the DCB0129 standard for Clinical Risk Management in Health IT Systems?
DCB0129 targets health IT systems with clinical functionalities that could potentially harm patients, focusing on their operational use and potential misuse. Since Inventory Management Systems primarily manage supplies without directly supporting clinical care, they fall outside the scope of this standard.