Developing an OPEL Measurement & Management System
What is the OPEL System?
- At OPEL 1, there is a low level of pressure on NHS services, and the system is functioning normally.
- At OPEL 2, there is moderate pressure, and healthcare facilities may need to take additional steps to manage demand and capacity.
- At OPEL 3, there is a high level of pressure, and the system may need to implement additional measures such as canceling elective surgeries or diverting patients to other facilities.
- At OPEL 4, there is severe pressure, and the system is at risk of breaking down.
- At OPEL 5, there is a critical level of pressure, and the system is unable to deliver comprehensive care.
The OPEL system also helps healthcare providers anticipate and prepare for periods of increased demand. By monitoring the situation and escalating the level of pressure as needed, healthcare providers can take steps to manage capacity and ensure that patients receive the care they need.
Utilising Software to Measure and Manage OPEL
The Curve has partnered up with The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust (TRFT) over the past year to explore and develop a bespoke management and reporting tool that aims to increase efficiency and patient care, especially in high demand and heavy workload scenarios. The Escalation Management System is a software application used to calculate these OPEL levels for an organisation typically at hospital or Trust level.
The application is deployed as a web application, built using existing NHS interface tools in order to provide a high level of familiarity for the NHS staff that would be using this system on a daily basis.
The Escalation Management System has been designed and developed to ensure operational NHS staff and users requiring access to the system can do so and utilise its potential on a wide range of devices such as phones, laptops, tablets and more. This was one of the key aspects highlighted early on in the development cycle as being an important feature, due to the fast paced environment many Hospitals and Trusts experience and therefore the need for having a system which could be used wherever staff were was crucial.
The Escalation Management System featured on Channel4 recently (shown in the video right) and provided an insight into how the system is actually working in its planned, operational environment.
The report details the working of EMS and how the data it gathers can be used as a valuable tool throughout the NHS Trust or Hospital, especially during times of high demand and pressure.