Hartlepool's hospital trust makes a £2.4million savings on medicines

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust had set a goal to save £1million in the area in the 2019-20 financial year.

But it more than doubled that freeing up cash that has helped to improve patient care including plans to replace two scanners so more patients can be seen.

The trust said the savings were achieved through effective leadership and engagement.

Its Pharmacy and Medicines Optimisation team developed several work streams for medicines efficiencies and quality improvement initiatives in collaboration with the multidisciplinary medical and nursing teams, finance department and local health commissioners.

Dr Deepak Dwarakanath, medical director and deputy chief executive, said: “The streamlining of our medicines and the associated costs is absolutely critical in ensuring that public funding is utilised appropriately for our clinical services.

“As an organisation focused on delivering good care, we must follow robust quality processes, ensuring that we are getting the best value for money whilst satisfying the needs of our patients.”

Measures that contributed to the savings included switches in consultation with consultant medical colleagues, ensuring compliance with best value regional contracts, clinical audits of outpatient prescribing, liaising with third party Homecare companies and ensuring processes were in place to minimise medicine waste.

The trust says the savings are especially at a time when the NHS is moving towards more integrated care and collaborative working with partners.

As well as helping to improve the quality of patient care, the efficiencies have also ensured the financial sustainability of the trust which runs the University Hospital of Hartlepool and University Hospital of North Tees, in Stockton.Medicines are one of the top expenditures in the NHS amounting to £19billion nationally with around half being spent in hospitals.

Dr Mojgan H Sani, the trust’s director of medicines optimisation and chief pharmacist added: “Medicines are the most frequent intervention in the NHS and getting the best value form medicines through effective clinical pharmacy and engagement with the multidisciplinary team in unity have been critical in our processes.

“I am really proud of my team’s achievements within the NHS.”

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