CHAOTIC scenes at Barnsley Hospital due to a surging demand for beds is set to be improved thanks to a ‘state-of-the-art’ suite of new technology which will enable medics to access real-time views of bed availability and staff workflows.
Powered by TeleTracking UK, the technology will work alongside existing IT systems to provide easy-to-view operational capability.
The hospital – which is a 586-bed acute site – serves more than 250,000 people but the new technology will provide staff a shared, real-time view of vital operational information, including as-it-happens available resources, bed utilisation, staffing workflows and discharge measures.
These tools, bosses say, will help the hospital manage care access, care delivery and care transitions more efficiently and effectively.
Currently, many hospitals still rely on manual processes – such as whiteboards, phone calls and physical checks – to manage bed capacity.
However, the new tech will replace the traditional practice with digital tools that streamline workflows, reduce delays and ease pressure on frontline staff.
Lorraine Burnett, chief operating officer at the hospital, said: “Our mission is to deliver outstanding care to our community.
“Embracing innovation through this partnership with TeleTracking will help us manage patient flow more efficiently, improve staff experience, and ensure better outcomes for our patients.
“It aligns with national healthcare priorities, including Lord Darzi’s 2024 report and the government’s ‘Ten-Year Health Plan’, both of which call for smarter use of data, better access to care and investment in digital transformation.”
The hospital logged 62,650 arrivals in 2024/25, which represents a rise of more than 2,500 people when compared with five years ago.
The publication of the 60,000-plus figure – which is about a quarter of Barnsley’s current population – comes after the A and E was featured on Channel Five’s fly-on-the-wall series, Casualty 24/7: Every Second Counts.
It showed how busy the hospital was, with 90 patients waiting to be seen during filming on one evening, with nurses shown desperately trying to get people seen and asking other wards if beds could be spared.
TeleTracking will battle against this, though, with improved patient flow, cost savings, a freeing up of medical staff members’ time and reduced nursing ‘burnout’ being promised.
Neil Griffiths, managing director of TeleTracking UK, added: “Healthcare leaders today are being pulled in every direction – clinical quality, workforce challenges and financial pressures.
“Our work with Barnsley Hospital will help staff focus on what matters most: delivering exceptional patient care.”