The Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS Trusts in the UK. They employ over 16,000 staff, conduct ground-breaking clinical research, and deliver stellar care to millions of patients each year.
With so many employees, students, and patients to oversee, the Trust processes a lot of paperwork. Decades ago, this was a challenge for its records and IT departments.
But after partnering with Datatron in the 1990s, the Trust changed its document management processes for the better. They haven’t looked back since.
The contract that started it all
In 1996, Datatron was one of the UK’s pioneering digital imaging service providers. So, when we approached the Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust in 1999, we proposed the option of scanning their documents, rather than microfilming. This ensured better data safeguarding and future-proofing, allowing the Trust to adhere to regulations and scale organically, without tedious paper processes holding them back.
After winning the tender, we began digitising the Trust’s records in late 1999. Since this initial project, we’ve repeatedly won contracts and implemented additional technical services.
23 years of continuous success
Over the last 23 years, we’ve expanded our services to other clinical and business areas.
Now, Datatron supports over 140 departments across the entire Trust, including HR, Finance, Clinical Specialities, and Nursing divisions. Our projects have helped the Trust transform its legacy processes, scan hundreds of millions of documents, and build one of the largest medical archives in the UK.
This has had a lasting, positive impact on teams across the Trust:
- Healthcare workers can provide faster, better-informed patient care.
- Clinicians can gain immediate access to records for complex cases.
- Teachers can quickly find historic case files and teaching resources for students.
- Managers across departments, teams and buildings can follow standardised document management policies and processes.
- The Trust can rest easy, knowing Datatron processes its critical healthcare data safely and in accordance with industry security standards.
Why is Datatron the perfect fit?
The NHS re-tenders its contracts every couple of years. But while other service providers come and go, the Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust continues to choose Datatron.
So, why is this the case? Through interviews with the Trust, we learned the following.
Frictionless projects and reactive support
We always deliver our projects on time and within budget. This is something all businesses should expect from their document management partner.
But we take this a step further. We listen to the Trust’s unique needs and provide fast, reactionary support when requested. For instance, during the COVID-19 crisis, we were able to catalogue and archive one million patient notes to create space for urgently needed clinical space.
‘David is reliable and trustworthy. He works with us and listens to us. There have been times when we’ve said, “no, we don’t want to go down that route”, and he can always suggest other options.’ - Sue Kelly, Health Records Manager
High-quality, secure data services
‘For me, I know all my records are in safe hands when I pass them over to David and his team. For a Health Records Manager, that’s the sort of reassurance you need.’ - Sue Kelly
In healthcare, data security is paramount. Without a trustworthy provider, organisations could risk a data breach and the resulting fines.
Datatron employs UKAS-accredited ISO standards, which ensure consistent and highly secure processing of confidential patient information. This provides the Trust with peace of mind and allows them to spend time on more important tasks.
Tailored and affordable support
Technology is ever-evolving. But not every new development is a call for change.
This is where the Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust really benefits from Datatron’s industry knowledge and technical experience.
As an NHS organisation, they must carefully consider value against cost. By familiarising ourselves with the Trust’s business processes and goals, we can confidently communicate the cost-benefit of new technical developments. So, when do recommend new technology, we ensure our services are as cost-effective as possible and provide a genuine ROI.
‘Datatron’s pricing is competitive, and that’s really important for us. When the contract came up for tender, we couldn’t find anyone else that matched Datatron’s quality or price.’ - Debbie Banks, Head of Medical Records
Ever-evolving services
Much like time, Datatron doesn’t stand still. Over the last 23 years, we’ve grown with the Trust, helping the organisation overcome its document management challenges and take advantage of new digital technologies.
‘Datatron is constantly evolving to ensure we provide an efficient and beneficial service to our clients. This includes inward investment in both our technology and our people… because one doesn’t work without the other.’ - David Popay, Managing Director at Datatron
We refine our own processes to ensure we deliver outstanding, competitive services time-after-time. That’s why our 23-year relationship with the Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust still stands strong to this day.
