Transforming Healthcare Records Management
Until recently, University Hospital Limerick Group (UHLG) managed their healthcare records manually, using racking and shelving with a third-party organisation. Today, they have achieved a significant leap in efficiency, thanks to Industore’s 20-Rotomat solution. Tony Fahy, Healthcare Records Business Manager at UHLG, shares his insights into how this innovative storage system has revolutionised their operations, improving efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility.
The Challenge
Prior to implementing the Rotomat system, UHLG stored over 15,000 medical records on racking and shelving, a method plagued by inefficiencies and risk. The old storage facility was on the second floor (with limited access) of a third-party building, forcing staff to transport charts and records through clinical areas a practice far from ideal, especially during the pandemic. The outdated, manual system was cumbersome, prone to picking errors and losses, and lacked an audit trail, posing risks of data breaches.
Tony Fahy explains: “Previously, healthcare records were stored on a second-storey, using very old rolling bays, which, by today’s standards, were no longer fit for purpose. Transporting charts through clinical areas posed risks, both in terms of infection control and physical strain on staff. The system was slow, and resulted in occasional misplacement of important documents. The manual handling involved increased the risk of injury due to stretching and straining, and being on the second-storey, as well as on racking, wasn’t ergonomic or user-friendly.”
The Hänel Rotomat in operation at University Hospital Limerick Group – a video interview with Tony Fahy, Healthcare Records Business Manager.
The Solution
UHLG recognised the need for professional expertise. The comprehensive tendering exercise highlighted the need for a turnkey solution, requiring interior logic design, specification, and fulfilment. Due to the tight deadline, HSE preferred to award the contract to a single service provider. Industore considered themselves to be a natural fit for the job, due to their experience in supplying automated storage and retrieval systems (such as the Rotomat) and their deep-rooted expertise in ‘architectural logic.’ This refers to the systematic and strategic arrangement of zones and physical elements within a facility to optimise efficiency, productivity, throughput, and safety.
As part of Industore’s tender response process, interior designers and CAD specialists supplied extensive plans, designs, and video walkthroughs, ensuring the client understood what success would look like. Following the tender exercise, UHLG named Industore as their preferred supplier, proposing the Rotomat, a market-leading, state-of-the-art automated carousel system, along with their proprietary software system, HänelSoft.
Industore’s solution was selected thanks to several key advantages:
- Exclusive Supplier: Industore is the UK and Ireland’s exclusive supplier of Hänel products, widely considered the best in the world.
- Experience: Industore has a track record of providing similar solutions across other trusts and hospitals, delivering exceptional ROI (return on investment).
- Presence: Industore’s extensive UK and Ireland support network ensures that assistance is readily available in the unlikely event of a breakdown.
Rotomat Advantages
- Capacity: The new system allows UHLG to store 100% more charts and records compared to similar solutions on the market.
- Accessibility: The system’s low, wide access points are tailored to accommodate all users, including wheelchair users, promoting inclusivity.
- Efficiency and Accuracy: Integrated with their proprietary WMS system, HänelSoft, the Rotomat systems provide unparalleled accuracy and security, saving lives.
What is HänelSoft, and how does it work at UHLG?
HänelSoft is Industore’s warehouse management software (WMS). It seamlessly integrates with our Automated Storage and Retrieval Solutions, enhancing their functionality and efficiency. It ensures data synchronisation across different systems, maintaining consistency and accuracy throughout supply chains. It’s compatible with a wide range of commonly used platforms, making integration straightforward.
HänelSoft at UHLG: 20 Rotomats, 220 bins, 3,200 locations, 35,000 files.
Storage Locations: There are approximately 35,000 storage locations on-site. Each item is stored ‘temporarily’, similar to chaotic storage, making each location immediately available again, once a file is picked.
Job List: Pickers receive a job list detailing the files to collect during their shift, specifying the exact Rotomat location for each file.
Rotomat Structure:
Rows: 10 rows labelled A-J
Lifts: Each row has 2 Rotomats (numbered 1-20)
Bins: Each Rotomat has 8 bins per carrier
Locations: Each bin contains 11 individual locations
Files: Each file has a unique ID
Retrieval Process:
The picker follows their job list to the specified Rotomat (e.g. Row F, Lift 11)
Each Rotomat has a 12-inch MP14 touch screen controller and an LED strip to aid fast retrieval by highlighting the precise location of the file
Once the file is retrieved, the Rotomat either rotates to the next location within itself, or informs the picker that the job is complete, and to move to the next Rotomat
If the picker attempts to retrieve a file which is not in the Rotomat they’re working on, that Rotomat will guide the picker to the correct location
This system ensures efficient, accurate, and quick retrieval of patient records, enhancing overall operational efficiency
Tony Fahy comments:
“Industore were clearly experts in what they did. Their successes elsewhere spoke to their expertise, and their referrals were extremely strong. The relationship we’ve developed with them since, along with the scale of their operation, has left us confident that should something go wrong, they’d respond quickly and do the right thing. In terms of the Rotomat, it’s an incredible piece of kit. It’s robust, reliable, and when it comes to speed – what used to take sometimes 30-minutes is today achieved in about 20-seconds. That’s 9,000% faster, and we never get it wrong.”
Before finalising their decision, UHLG visited St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin, which had implemented a similar Industore system in 2010, some fifteen years ago, at the time of writing. Seeing the machines still working without fault and hearing from first-hand experience offered UHLG confidence in Industore and the Rotomat. The visit provided UHLG with valuable insights about additional benefits at St. Vincent’s, as well as the solution’s effectiveness and reliability.
Implementation and Customisation
Despite the challenging installation environment, with low head height and tricky access, Industore’s experienced team successfully tailored the Rotomat system to fit UHLG’s space constraints. As with all Industore solutions, UHLG’s automated storage carousels are unique and made to order. The hospital, working with Industore’s space and logistics experts, defined the height, width, and depth of every carrier in every machine based on the need and demand. Industore provided exact figures for storage capacity, ensuring efficient use of available space while allowing room for expansion.
Industore’s Ireland Director, Trevor Elliot, explains: “Once we conducted a thorough site audit and worked closely with the client to ensure a clear, mutual understanding of the requirements, the machines and their carriers were tailored to exact needs. This allowed us to maximise our client’s storage capacity within the constraints of their facility. We also introduced HänelSoft, which integrated seamlessly with UHLG’s existing system, ensuring all files are handled well and perfectly accounted for. A significant achievement made possible thanks to the courage and conviction of both Industore and the Executive Management Team, UHLG’s Project Management department, and all others involved.”
Although it is still early to provide comprehensive quantitative data, the initial feedback from UHLG staff has been overwhelmingly positive. Within six-months of the tender being published for responses, Industore’s solution was already online, transferring over 25,000 records on-site and creating capacity to store 20,000 more, an increase of around 200%. That’s 3 months ahead of schedule.
The speed and accuracy of the new system has already made a notable impact on daily operations. Staff can now access charts safely, quickly and efficiently, which is crucial given the critical nature of the documentation. Moreover, the hospital can now be assured that patient files are being stored securely, thanks to access controls built into the Rotomats via fob and PIN control. Each user has been allocated a fob and Personal Identification Number, which gives them access to the appropriate files based on their roles and responsibilities. Every time a file is accessed, the PIN identifies the user, and a full audit trail records the user, time, date, and notes the file called/returned. HänelSoft integration allows the system to track the last location of each chart, ensuring no lost, or misplaced documents.
Industore is proud to have partnered with UHLG on this transformative project. Working with ambitious organisations like UHLG, committed to improving their operations for the benefit of staff and patients, is always a privilege. Their dedication to enhancing their records management system is commendable, and we are thrilled to have provided a solution that meets their needs. We sincerely hope more organisations, particularly the NHS and HSE, follow in the footsteps of this forward-thinking, ambitious, and trailblazing team.
Tony Fahy on the potential for broader adoption:
“We encourage all hospitals across Ireland and the UK To consider AS/RS such as Rotomats and find the right provider to partner with. The improvements in time, speed, and efficiency have empowered us to achieve more independently, as well as reducing reliance on slow practices and solutions. It’s already providing positive outcomes for patients and the taxpayer, due to the savings we’re making.
Industore’s system has been truly transformational. It’s hard to believe the level of change we’ve undergone, and I can’t imagine the benefits we, and our patients will feel over the next several decades. We’re so much faster, more accurate, inclusive, and secure. There is no doubt in my mind that this is going to enhance patient care and save the taxpayer many millions of Euros over the coming years. We’re extremely excited about the future and our continued collaboration with Industore.”
The implementation of Industore’s Rotomat solution at University Hospital Limerick Group has set a new standard for the Health Service Executive (HSE) in terms of automated storage for healthcare records management. With vastly increased storage capacity, improved ergonomics, speed, accessibility, and security, the Rotomat system is delivering significant benefits. The success of this project underscores the value of Industore’s storage solutions in the healthcare sector.
The partnership between UHLG and Industore exemplifies how innovative technology can address longstanding challenges in healthcare, improving patient care, operational efficiency, and reducing costs. This success story will hopefully inspire other healthcare institutions, not only in Ireland but across the UK, to explore the benefits of automated storage and retrieval systems, realising substantial returns on investment and life-changing possibilities.
