University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHSFoundation Trust is one of the first NHS Trust's to say 'Bye Bye Bleep'.
It will be replacing the traditional pager 'bleep' system with a pioneering new smartphone technology for the majority its clinical staff.
The new smartphone based system goes live today, Tuesday May 3, and will bring with it a new communications system whichwill improve transparency and patient careacross the Trust.
Ms Sarah Hart, Clinical Lead for I3 and Urology Speciality Doctor at the Trust, has developed the 'Bye Bye Bleep' campaign with the Trust's I3 (Information, Informatics andInnovation) Team and clinicians from many different specialities to improve quality of care and patient safety throughout the organisation.
The software will also allow clinicians to create and action patient tasks, enabling an auditable workload rather than using various methods for note taking.
Around two years ago the Government decided that all NHS establishments needed to replace its outdated technology, but until recently there hadn't been a reliable way tomove away from Bleeps and Pagers.
Ms Hart said: "I like technology that makes our lives safer, slicker and easier.
"It is also a useful team management tool. If a patient is being treated in one department and suddenly needs to see a consultant from a different speciality, the app can be used to send a referral to a senior clinician, thus avoiding delays in treatment."
Alerts on the phones will let colleagues know that there is a new Task or Referral so they will be potentially looking at their phone's much more frequently.
Therefore, teams will ensure that patients and visitors understand that if they see colleagues with an iPhone in a clinical area, they will be using them to support patient care, not for personal use.
Ms Hart added: "Other organisations are developing similar apps but are not as far along the road as we are.
"For the small number of Trusts which already use smartphones instead of pagers, their technology does not include eHandover,contemporary lists of inpatients and eObs, the electronic record of a patients temperature, blood pressure, pulse etc which gives a clinicalindicator of their immediate health.
"It will bea huge improvement for colleagues and will result in greater safety and quality of care for our patients."
The Chief Executive of the Trust, Aaron Cummins, said: "We are very excited to be introducingthis innovative technology.
"Technology is sucha huge part of all of our lives and brings with it many benefits, not just in terms of making tasks easier for colleagues but also helping usto offer a better service and experience to ourpatients.
"Sarah (Hart) and the I3 team have done agreat job in bringing this vision to reality and on behalf of the Trust, I'd like to thank them all for their hard work and dedication."
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