Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (NNUH) partnered with Alertive as part of a wider digital transformation programme to improve emergency department performance, streamline communication and support patient flow.
By replacing legacy communication methods with secure, real-time digital communication, teams across the Trust have been able to coordinate more effectively, respond to referrals faster and maintain greater visibility across urgent care pathways.
NNUH supports more than one million patients each year across two hospitals. At this scale, delays in communication and coordination can have a significant impact on staff, patient flow and the overall performance of emergency services.
Legacy systems such as pagers made it difficult for staff to share context, confirm that messages had been received or quickly identify the person responsible for a particular role.
Referral pathways were also disrupted by misdirected requests, delayed responses and time spent chasing updates. These pressures were felt particularly strongly by junior clinicians, reducing the time available for patient care and contributing to stress and burnout.
NNUH needed a communication platform that could support faster, clearer collaboration between emergency, assessment and ward teams.
As part of the Trust’s modernisation programme, NNUH introduced Alertive to replace pagers and digitise key communication and referral pathways.
The platform enabled staff to share information in real time, direct messages to the appropriate roles and coordinate action across departments. This improved visibility helped teams identify and address misdirected referrals more quickly while reducing reliance on telephone calls and manual follow-up.
Associate Nursing Director
Alertive has enabled the team to be transparent with communication by alerting, informing and updating wider teams in regard to escalation and potential problems. As most issues require a collaborative approach requiring multiple teams and individuals to be informed in real time, Alertive solves that problem.
Improved communication between emergency, assessment and ward teams also supported patient flow, helping staff coordinate decisions and manage activity across the hospital more effectively.
Following the wider transformation programme, NNUH recorded significant improvements across emergency care, communication and staff experience.
An additional 1,500 patients per month, representing a 7.95% increase, were admitted, transferred or discharged within the four-hour target.
Communication of critical pathology results also became considerably faster, reducing from approximately 53 minutes to an average of four minutes, a 93% reduction.
CNIO and Deputy CCIO
In our laboratories, the time taken to communicate pathology results has dropped from 54 minutes to just four, transforming the workload and improving the quality of care we can provide.
The benefits extended to staff experience. NNUH reported a 47% reduction in stress levels, a 23% decrease in burnout and a 62% reduction in unnecessary out-of-hours messaging.
These results reflect the combined impact of redesigned workflows, digital referrals and improved coordination across the Trust, with Alertive providing the communication infrastructure needed to connect teams in real time.
NNUH continues to build on its digital transformation strategy by expanding digital workflows, improving referral and communication pathways and monitoring performance through data and staff feedback.
The work demonstrates how modern clinical communication can support wider improvements across emergency care. Giving staff a reliable way to reach the right person, share relevant information and coordinate action helps reduce communication delays and creates greater visibility across complex patient pathways.
By moving away from pagers and fragmented processes, NNUH has established a stronger foundation for connected, responsive emergency care.
The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has witnessed a significant improvement in its emergency care services thanks to a collaborative effort involving multiple initiatives. The integration of Alertive has been instrumental within this wider strategy, contributing significantly to the enhancement of patient triage efficiency. In 2023, Alertive helped ensure that over 1,500 more patients were admitted, transferred or discharged per month within the target 4 hours compared to the previous year. This achievement underscores the collective commitment to overcoming communication challenges and operational bottlenecks that had previously constrained critical care delivery.
Outdated communication methods contributed to delays that hindered patient-care decisions, impeded patient flow, and disproportionately impacted junior staff. These inefficiencies highlighted the urgent need for innovative solutions. Alertive was a key component in addressing these issues.
Alertive has played a valuable role in increasing operational efficiency. Its impact includes a 7.95% increase in managing patients within the four-hour target. It has also been reported to significantly reduce ambulance wait times thanks to efficient patient flow coordination between the RATS, ED, and Ward teams.
The graph above demonstrates not only the impact of Alertive but also the sustained improvement in patient management within the four-hour window. This improvement is a testament to the enhanced operational efficiency and the faster patient turnaround time achieved through the collective efforts at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals. Over 7,600 healthcare professionals are utilising Alertive, exchanging 77,000 messages and 4,500 alerts monthly, facilitating a level of transparency and collaboration previously unattainable.
Key Transformations Enabled by Alertive:
While the implementation of Alertives marks a significant achievement, it’s essential to place these within the context of a larger, integrated effort to advance service delivery standards within the NHS. The evolving landscape of healthcare necessitates a cohesive approach where innovative solutions like Alertive are part of a holistic strategy aimed at achieving excellence in urgent and emergency care.
Congratulations to the team at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for their dedication to innovation and patient care. The collective efforts of all involved have been instrumental in realising these advancements. Looking ahead to our ongoing collaboration and the 2024 roadmap, we are excited about the potential to sustain these improvements and further harness integrated solutions in healthcare.
