TClarke Digital healthcare transformation project reduces noise on maternity wards

Combining our Intelligent Buildings and Healthcare expertise, TClarke are leading an innovative pilot using smart technology to help make hospital wards quieter places for both patients and staff. The pilot is now underway at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust (RCHT).

The Silent Hospital Pilot Project aims to transform the postnatal ward at RCHT by introducing software that silences patient call bells and drives the audible alerts to mobile phones, carried by midwives and nursing staff.

Patients, staff and visitors should experience the benefits of a quieter and calmer environment and, if the pilot is successful, the new technology could be extended to other wards across the hospital.

The evaluation of the pilot will measure the actual reduction of noise and the qualitative benefits in terms of improved wellbeing, faster recovery and better communication. Information will be collected from the nurse call system to measure response times and the consistent functioning of the software which will also improve data collection for the hospital’s estate. This will be the first step to potentially introducing other silencing digital technologies for medical equipment, and other noise reduction measures.

Rob Faro, TClarke Director for UK South and Healthcare says “We have been developing our capability in Smart Hospitals over the last couple of years combining our Intelligent Buildings and Healthcare teams’ expertise to drive innovation in the future of digitally-enabled hospital buildings. Having grown our relationships with key suppliers in this field, including software partner DNV Imatis and nurse call provider Wandsworth, we have enabled this innovative pilot to take place.

Our approach to innovation in this fast-growing market is driving transformation in healthcare buildings and we are delighted to work with our long term clients at RCHT”

Sally Brittain, Director of Midwifery at RCHT says: “We are very excited to have been selected to trial the silent nurse call bells on RCHT’s Wheal Fortune Ward. Our postnatal ward is always a busy place with many parents and newborn babies often unable to get much needed quality rest due to the noisy environment. The babies on the ward that have been born prematurely will also benefit greatly from the quieter and more nurturing environment to support their development.

“We hope this evaluation project will demonstrate that it is possible to make our wards quieter through smart, yet fairly simple, digital solutions. Our midwives and maternity support workers fully embrace the new technology, recognising that it has the potential to transform their working day.”

Roberta Fuller, Programme Director for the Women and Children’s Hospital Programme, RCHT adds: “This project has been two years in the planning, partnering with colleagues from TClarke and Norwegian healthcare digital solutions company, DNV Imatis, and is the first digital project to be trialled as part of the development of the new Women and Children’s Hospital Programme.

“The New Hospital Programme transformation team is monitoring our pilot project to see how silent ward solutions can function using regular mobile phones rather than bespoke digital devices. Our ambition is to explore more digital technologies for the new Women and Children’s hospital, such as equipment and patient tracking, wayfinding software and communications systems to improve the delivery of cleaning, catering and portering. Environmental sustainability measures such as energy monitoring and room-by-room control of heating, lighting and ventilation are also being considered to improve the patient experience in our new hospital.”