Improving Safety and Efficiency in Orthopedics at University Hospitals Plymouth

Overview

University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHPNT) is the largest hospital in the South West Peninsula of England. It provides secondary care to 450,000 people and specialist services to nearly two million. As a Scan4Safety demonstrator, one of the NHS trusts chosen to lead adoption of GS1 standards across the NHS in England, UHPNT committed to improving patient safety and efficiency through real-time supply chain tracking.

Genesis was engaged to help achieve these goals by automating point-of-care inventory tracking.

The Challenge

UHPNT’s reliance on manual inventory management created significant operational and safety challenges. Without automation, staff had to track stock levels by hand, expired items often went unnoticed, and records lacked accuracy. This made it difficult to ensure essential surgical supplies were always available when needed.

In the orthopedic operating rooms (theatres, in NHS terms), for example, 57% of critical items were limited to just one in stock at any given time. That raised the risk of delays and last-minute, costly same-day deliveries. When supplies ran out, surgeries faced potential cancellation, affecting patient care and increasing operational costs.

UHPNT needed an automated solution that would guarantee timely replenishment, reduce waste from expired products, and provide real-time data for better stock management. Achieving this would also help the Trust meet vital compliance standards, streamline operations, and enhance patient safety.

The Solution

Genesis introduced Genesis Inventory and Point of Care, using GS1 standards to create a seamless, precise system for tracking patients, products, and locations throughout the hospital. Built on these standards, the implementation delivered a full-scale transformation of UHPNT’s inventory management.

• Automated stock replenishment: items nearing expiry are flagged automatically, so staff can address shortages proactively and reduce waste from expired stock.
• Right stock, right level: critical supplies are available without unnecessary overstocking or missed reorder points.
• Point-of-care scanning: handheld scanners track high-priority items, such as implants and essential surgical tools, quickly and accurately at the point of care.
• Real-time oversight: staff see stock levels as they change, so they can predict and adjust replenishment needs quickly, while clinical teams are freed from time-intensive manual inventory checks.

Together, these improvements have supported patient safety and more reliable, streamlined supply management across the Trust.

Results: £90K in Stock Savings

The project delivered £90,000 in stock savings while enhancing patient safety and compliance. Automated tracking and streamlined inventory management minimized waste and allowed staff to prioritize patient care.

• £90,000 in stock savings
• Less waste from expired stock, with items flagged before they expire
• Fewer cancellation risks through automatic electronic stock replacement
• More time for patients, with clinical teams no longer tied to manual stock checks and reordering

“Scanning products before surgery improves patient safety by reducing the risk of human error and, due to automatic electronic stock replacement processes, reduces the likelihood of operations being cancelled. Staff morale has also been increased because they can spend more time caring for patients, rather than on the reordering and re-equipping of stores.”Mark BrinsdenTrauma and Orthopaedic Consultant, University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust

About Genesis

Genesis Automation Healthcare is the Clinical Lifecycle Management Platform, closing the gap between the ERP and the EHR. One vendor-neutral platform brings together Genesis Data, Sourcing, Inventory, Clinical, Savings, and Intelligence to help health systems protect patient safety and margins across every stage of the clinical supply lifecycle. Genesis is trusted by 400+ hospitals and health systems.