‘Going paperless’ is a phrase that a lot of organisations have adopted, but it’s a phrase that can mean different things to different people. To some, paperless is the digital approach to streamlining their processes and the ability to manipulate data in different ways. To others, it’s about reducing their environmental impact and saving on printing costs.
Whatever ‘paperless’ means to you, the industry where the paperless movement is having the biggest impact is in healthcare.
Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who originally challenged trusts to be paperless by 2018, started the drive for the NHS to become paperless. Although this deadline has since been moved back several times, the quest for becoming paperless and reaping all the benefits that this brings has not been lost on some.
Streamlining and accessing a wide range of data is equally as important as reducing paper usage and unnecessary costs, but paperless also has wider governance implications, which some NHS trusts, and healthcare bodies have been quicker to seize upon than organisations in other sectors.
Derbyshire Community Health Services were recently nominated for a UK Paperless Award, recognising the work that they have done and the success that being paperless has bought the organisation.
The challenge to go paperless by 2018 was one that Derbyshire CHS took very seriously, and set about transforming their organisation into a data driven, paperless one. For them, paperless didn’t just stop at patient records, they understood the benefits that could come from digitising all of their data, including their board meetings.
Our board portal can transform your board meetings into a truly paperless environment, which helps improve your boardroom’s efficiency and security. The topics discussed and the information exchanged as part of board meetings can be very sensitive, especially in the NHS. Paper documents from those meetings can be easily lost, misplaced or stolen. By having all your information on a secure digital platform you can be safe knowing they can’t be leaked or fall into the wrong hands.
Having been a BoardPacks member for several years, we were delighted to hear of their nomination for a Paperless Award, which was held in London in July 2017. Their use of the BoardPacks app was in fact the reason they were nominated and shortlisted in the ‘Management and Culture Project of the Year’ award, and although they did not take home the award on the night, Non-Executive Director James Reilly was still very upbeat about the progress they have made:
“With over 300 applications for these awards it was great to be in the final list of nominees reflecting the strength of work in partnership with eShare to reap the real benefits for our time, money and environment which smart paperless working brings. So although we didn’t bring home the prize on the night, with those benefits continuing to flow in, we believe we are all winners!”
Whilst Derbyshire CHS were unsuccessful on the night, the success that BoardPacks has bought to their organisation is very much real. No matter what you end goal or driving passion for going paperless is, we are always delighted to help and be part of your journey. In the health service alone, eShare have helped many clients achieve their paperless objectives and more, such as our work with Luton and Dunstable Hospital and Hertfordshire Trusts.
For more information on how eShare can help your organisation achieve their paperless targets and save you time and money, then please get in touch.
