High tech sensors enhance safety on mental health wards

Innovative technology is being installed on mental health wards at Midlands Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (MPFT) as part of a programme to improve patient safety continuously.

Oxehealth’s Oxevision platform, which is designed to monitor patient safety and wellbeing, is currently being piloted at St George’s Hospital in Stafford and plans are in place to extend this to other wards at the hospital and also to the Trust’s inpatient unit in Shrewsbury.

Oxevision consists of a secure optical sensor which remotely monitors a patient’s pulse and breathing rate 24 hours a day by measuring changes in skin tone and chest movements, even when patients are under bedding.

The sensor can also alert staff if the patient gets out of bed, is at risk of falling or if they display activity or behaviour that may present a risk to their safety.

Helena Brown, Ward Manager on Baswich Ward, said, “we are really excited about this new technology, and it is making a real difference to our patients. We don’t need to disturb them at night, and we can quickly intervene if there are any problems. We have been able to use it to observe from a distance when being closer to the patient was distressing them, and can even call up remote footage to review an incident like a fall to identify the issue such as the patient using an unsteady table to pull themselves up”.

Steve Martin, Associate Chief Nurse/ CNIO added: “the platform complements the vital role our clinical staff play – improving patient safety by continually monitoring their vital signs, safety and wellbeing and providing clinical insight to frontline staff.”