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UHB has a proven reputation for its information technology, using digital solutions to improve care, reduce waiting times and to help make life less stressful for patients. In 2016, the Trust was made a Global Digital Exemplar by NHS England, meaning it is an internationally-recognised NHS care provider delivering exceptional care, efficiently, through the world-class use of digital technology and information flows.

One of the programs used at UHB is BookWise, scheduling software used in the hospital’s oncology and haematology departments. It is used to plan and follow a patient’s treatment pathway and helps staff ensure patients are on track with their prescribed plan. Until last year, the program was only used on one infusion unit. Now it is used on three.

“Using paper systems, as we did previously, it was hard to keep track of subsequent treatments on the pathway as it developed,” said Sarah Morries-Bates, who is the Group Manager for Oncology and Haematology at UHB. “If one treatment changed or was rescheduled, it would need to be changed manually in the whole paper trail.

“With a digital system, keeping track of changes is much more fluid.”

BookWise was implemented at UHB in 2004, and was upgraded in 2009, to cater to the Trust’s needs. It was particularly useful during the recent opening of the Centre for Clinical Haematology (CCH).

“It played a big part in helping to plan our new haematology unit. Using its historic data, it helped the department to predict growth and even things like the number of chairs that would be needed.”

One of the key components of BookWise is that it can be tailored to suit a patient’s specific requirements. “When you register a patient, BookWise suggests pathways for that patient based on their personal needs and the facilities available, helping them stay on track with regular treatments and visits,” said Sarah.

“You can also give patients a paper print-out which outlines their pathway. Using this, they know exactly what their treatment schedule will be for the next six to 12 months, so they can plan their lives accordingly.

“It considers the patient as a whole person, offering holistic benefits as well as medical.”