We’re excited to announce the launch of our new appeal – ‘Transforming Your Care’ Digital Observations Appeal, to revolutionise the way our doctors and nurses deliver care. Our Charity is raising £200,000 for Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals, to implement an electronic observation system to record patients’ vital signs.

Currently, our nurses record a patient’s vital signs (oxygen saturation, pulse rate etc) on paper. Then each vital sign is allocated a score – the score is higher the more abnormal the vital sign, which nurses have to calculate manually.

But this new system will use a mobile device to support nursing staff in collecting patient observations by automatically calculating a score that will assist in making clinical judgements.

For our patients, this means standardisation of the assessment/response process so care plans can be communicated quickly across both sites, care is delivered at the right time and by the appropriate clinician, as well as automated accuracy of patient scores resulting in improved patient outcomes.

What’s more, your support will enable us to utilise early warning technology for sepsis – a potentially life-threating condition also known as blood poisoning. The technology uses algorithms and track-and-trigger systems alongside our nurses’  own expertise to enable them to identify early signs of patient deterioration and escalate treatment.

Last week, we hosted a launch event for some of our donors, staff and patients at Harefield Hospital, to introduce this new appeal. The launch was led by a brilliant speech from Joy Godden, who enacted the impact the digital platform will have on our nursing staff – less time manually calculating patient scores and more time at the patient’s bedside, delivering the outstanding care many of you have experienced. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this special evening.

Don’t forget to follow us on social media as we continue to share what Transforming Your Care means to patients, their loved ones, doctors and nurses at Royal Brompton and Harefield Hospitals. Search ‘RBH Charity’ on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.