Cancer Care Scheduling System

A electronic chemotherapy unit scheduling system developed by a lead Chemotherapy Nurse at Harrogate and District Hospital Foundation Trust  in conjunction with Virtual Purple Professional Services, a medical software company.

• Cancer Services Quality Measures Standard 3C 141 ‘There should be an agreed arrangement to limit the number of patients being treated when the workload is considered unsafe’. Currently no nationally agreed standards across the NHS to how this should be carried out.

• Using the Cancer Care Scheduling system ensures the Chemotherapy National Standards for the safe administration of chemotherapy and safe workload are met.

• Methodology developed behind the system at HDFT ensures chemotherapy units are able to work to maximum efficiency by minimising patient waiting times and ensuring occupancy of the unit is optimised at all times.

‘Within the system, a nurse is not allowed to exceed the number of “task points” allocated in each working day.  This means that although the unit is always busy, a nurse is never overworked and there is never a backlog of patients.’

• The system automatically displays patient bookings and indicates point at which the unit is over capacity allowing staffing requirements to be accurately assessed and shortages easily identified.

• Scheduling system is shared with the pharmacy ensuring pharmacists can track patient treatment and bookings allowing drugs to be prepared where necessary.

• The electronic system makes auditing processes easier with history of waiting times, and patient treatment regimes given can be easily accessed by staff.

• The system is fully adaptable to new treatments methodologies, new drug implementation and variations in procedures. Able to deal with unscheduled events, staff training and sickness leave that may adversely affect the unit.