Trust-wide Unity implementation update – Sandwell, Rowley and Leasowes are going live on Unity
September 22, 2019
All sites going live by end of today
As well as rolling out across City Hospital, more than half the wards at Sandwell and Rowley Regis are now live. Clinical teams across all sites continue to be supported in the following ways:
- Through the informatics service desk on ext. 4050 if you cannot log in to Unity
- Through digital champions, super users and floorwalkers, who can help resolve or escalate any issues. Please call ext. 4050 to log a request for help.
If you’ve forgotten how to do a particular task in Unity, there are pocket books you can refer to. These simple guides will take you through the process step by step. There are also standard operating procedures and quick references guides on Connect.
For more information about going live with Unity please visit the all about go-live section on Connect or email swbh.unity.queries@nhs.net
A few common issues have been picked up so far. Please take note of the following:
Tap and Go
We are making some refinements to Tap and Go that will further improve access.
- Log into a Tap and Go computer using your smartcard, and enter your pin, which will take you onto the desktop home screen
- You should then see the Unity icon, which will take you straight through to your Unity profile when you click on it. If you cannot automatically see the Unity icon, shut down and restart your computer. Once you log in again the Unity icon will appear on your home screen
- When your work is complete and you need to move on, please sign and save your work and close the Unity browser
- Move on to a new machine and repeat the process when required
Barcode scanning
Colleagues are reminded that when carrying out medication administration, patient wristbands must be scanned ensuring that the long barcode next to the RXK number is scanned and not the square QR code in the centre of the wristband.
To ensure the correct bar code is read, colleagues are advised to either cover the square bar code when scanning or to scan down towards the bar code until the code is read.
Results endorsement
Results for tests such as radiology and pathology returned after 16 September will be logged within Unity. However, if results for tests were returned before 16 September, you will find these in CDA/CSS
BCP
Areas should only have BCP active for ordering radiology as ICM is currently offline. No other BCP should be enacted without escalating to site leads.
Sandwell, Rowley and Leasowes are going live on Unity!
Our wards at Sandwell, Rowley and Leasowes that have gone live on Unity include: Sandwell ED, AMU A, SAU, Lyndon Ground, Lyndon 1, Lyndon 2, Newton 3, Critical Care and Leasowes.
Lyndon 1 was one of the first wards to go live today and their ward manager Jo Wright shared her thoughts on the change over.
“We went live at 8 o’clock this morning and it has gone extremely well. There were a few teething problems but we’re just working our way through it at the moment with the support of the floorwalkers. At the moment it’s quite calm and going well”
“We’ve used the IT helpdesk and we’ve also got the floorwalkers down straightaway when we have identified a problem so there’s been lots of support.”
“There were a few teething problems but once we get into it we’ll be absolutely fine. It looks quite straightforward and we’re just having a play with it at the moment and getting used to it. Until we’ve actually gone onto the system and played with it a few things haven’t been identified. We’ve identified a few problems this morning but they’ve been sorted straightaway.”
Reminder: Documenting samples when collecting bloods in Unity – remember to mark samples as collected
Remember when you are collecting bloods you must first print the label then take the blood sample and finally, mark the sample as collected within Unity.
Follow the steps below when collecting bloods to ensure they are documented correctly in Unity.
- In the specimen collection window within Unity, please click on the drop down list and select print label. Note: for microbiology, histopathology and blood transfusion samples you will need to print a requisition at this point too
- After printing the label, you must remember to mark sample as collected
- Ensure you have completed both steps above before signing for the order.
- To ensure the lab can process your results for endorsement, the steps above need to be followed.
For detailed information, please follow the attached QRG:
Prescribing: Remember to use generic names for drugs when you are prescribing
Please remember when are prescribing drugs through Unity, you must use the generic names for the drugs rather than the brand name. Unity has been prepopulated with the formulary based on generic drug names.
For example, when ordering drugs, you would use the name Sodium Valproate instead of searching for Epilim.
First winner of shout-out competition
The Unity go-live fortnight will be a demanding time for everyone in the Trust and it will be important to work together. If you notice anyone going the extra mile to help their colleagues with Unity please take the time to submit a shout-out via Connect.
Each day during the two weeks of go-live there will be a prize of £20 worth of Love to Shop vouchers on offer for the best shout-out.
Today’s winner is Fiona Boddy at AMU in City who sent in a shout out for Vicky O’Sullivan and Emma Ward,
“For coming on unity go live night on AMU at City, as chilled calm and collected as they always are and working there usual brilliant magic to get our patients in the right places, supporting their colleagues and making us all smile”
Congratulations Fiona and well done Vicky O’Sullivan and Emma Ward.