Solving the Forgotten Ureteral Stent Issue in the NHS: Capri Healthcare’s Innovative Stent Register Solution
Ureteral stents are vital in procedures like kidney stone removals, allowing urine flow post-surgery. However, when these stents are accidentally left in place, complications can arise—patients face risks of infection, encrustation, and in severe cases, kidney damage. In the NHS, forgotten ureteral stents (RUS) represent a critical challenge, impacting both patient outcomes and healthcare resources.
The Challenge of Forgotten Stents in the NHS
With approximately 140 NHS trusts providing urology services, the incidence of forgotten stents is high. These incidents often occur due to follow-up lapses, communication barriers, or a lack of effective tracking systems. When stents remain in the body for too long, they can calcify, causing blockages that lead to infections, discomfort, and potentially irreversible kidney damage. Patients suffer both physically and emotionally, with the need for additional surgeries prolonging recovery times and healthcare dependency. Additionally, these incidents lead to increasing healthcare costs, stretching NHS resources thin.
Financial and Legal Implications for the NHS
The costs of forgotten stents extend beyond patient care. Legal claims from patients impacted by RUS-related complications cost the NHS millions annually. Each lawsuit represents not only a financial strain but also a reputational risk for the NHS. Reducing RUS incidents could alleviate financial pressures, improve patient satisfaction, and strengthen the NHS’s commitment to safe and effective care(GEH StentRegister DPIA …).
Introducing Capri Healthcare’s Stent Register Solution
To address this pressing issue, Capri Healthcare developed the Stent Register, a comprehensive, multi-platform application designed to mitigate the RUS problem by ensuring end-to-end stent tracking and reminders. This solution alerts healthcare providers and patients when a stent is due for removal, preventing the risk of stents being forgotten. Key features include:
- Barcode Scanning: Automatically captures stent details by scanning the package, reducing human error.
- Comprehensive Data Logging: Stores vital data, such as patient demographics, stent size, insertion/removal dates, and more, for accurate tracking(Stent-Register-Service …).
- Notification System: Sends timely alerts for stent removals to both patients and healthcare staff via SMS and email.
- Multi-platform Access: Available on both desktop and mobile devices, providing flexible access for busy hospital teams.
- Future EHR Integration: Planned compatibility with systems like Lorenzo will allow seamless integration with existing NHS electronic health records (EHRs)(GEH StentRegister DPIA …)(Stent-Register-Service …).
Cost Savings and Safety Benefits for the NHS
The Stent Register aligns with NHS priorities to enhance patient safety and reduce operational inefficiencies. Investing in this system can help the NHS reduce the incidence of RUS, avoid preventable readmissions, and limit legal liabilities. Considering that a single case of forgotten stents can cost thousands of pounds in corrective surgeries, legal fees, and additional healthcare, the Stent Register presents a valuable one-time investment with significant potential for long-term savings.
Trust-Wide Adoption and Proven Results
Capri Healthcare’s Stent Register has already been piloted in NHS settings, demonstrating its effectiveness in reducing RUS and improving urological care. With secure data storage, ISO 27001 compliance, and a GDPR-compliant design, this solution ensures both patient safety and data privacy(GEH StentRegister DPIA …)(Stent-Register-Service …).
Get in Touch to Arrange a Demo
For NHS trusts interested in eliminating the challenges of forgotten stents, Capri Healthcare offers tailored demos of the Stent Register. To explore how this system can improve patient care, prevent complications, and potentially save your trust millions, contact Capri Healthcare at sales@caprihealthcare.co.uk or visit https://caprihealthcare.co.uk/portfolio/stentregister/ to learn more.
Capri Healthcare’s Stent Register brings innovative, patient-focused solutions to the forefront of urology care, enabling the NHS to reduce legal risks, save costs, and ultimately provide safer, more reliable healthcare.