Case Study: The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Increasing capacity, reducing wait times and providing time back to staff

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Overview

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust is a healthcare provider in Chester, England, serving patients primarily from Chester, Ellesmere Port, and surrounding areas in Cheshire and North Wales. Established to deliver a range of acute medical services, the Trust manages the Countess of Chester Hospital, which offers specialized departments in cardiology, emergency medicine, cancer care, and women children’s services. The Trust continuously works to improve its facilities and standards through various quality improvement programs, supporting both the health and well-being of the community it serves and its staff when they come to work.

Operational Platform: TeleTracking
ERP: Cerner
Total Beds: 550
TeleTracking Partner Since: 2016

Challenge

The Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust faces several operational challenges. One of the primary issues is ensuring effective patient flow within a limited ward base, balanced against a set number of available staff. This affects many areas of care – ranging from emergency services through to specialized services – leading to points of pressure along patient pathways. The challenge then becomes about how to balance risk across the organization. Additionally, the Trust must manage a rise in patient demand – coupled with an ageing population who have more complex health and social care needs. The needs of patients stretches current resources, clinical pathways and bed availability. Ensuring good value for money for the public purse by being efficient with spending is also important, as the Trust operates within set budgets. Innovative solutions are required to meet the complex problems that the team are assailed with.