Heartbeat: Community nurses lead the way in mobile working

June 21, 2019

Earlier this year, colleagues in Yorkshire and Humber had an opportunity to hear about how we have embraced digital patient care, from when the challenge was first set through to the completion of the phase one mobile working rollout across the region.

Denise Owen, Matron for Community Nurses, and Andy Churm, District Nurse Clinical Lead (Informatics Secondment for Mobile Working), were invited to speak at a Technology for Community Nursing event hosted by NHS England and Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network in Leeds.

Denise was also asked to take part in a panel discussion, which operated in a similar style to Question Time, focusing on the project’s challenges, risks, opportunities and successes. During the event Dr Crystal Oldman of the Queen’s Nursing Institute, and Heather Caudle of NHS England, came and spoke to Denise and Andy. They both congratulated our organisation on the excellent work that has been done within the district nurse service around mobile working and becoming paper–light.

Denise and Andy felt the presentation went really well and were pleased to be given the opportunity to share good practice nationally.

“It was great meeting other NHS colleagues who are also travelling a digital path, so that we could share our experiences,” said Andy. “Many other organisations face the same challenges as us here at SWB and having the opportunity to discuss these challenges and explore some possible solutions proved to be of great benefit.

It was really motivational to have these discussions with colleagues who share our desire to push the digital future of the NHS into community services.”