Simulation Tools for Healthcare Providers to Achieve Excellence in QIPP Standards

(I-Newswire) February 12, 2010 - With the new focus on Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention (QIPP) and the need to plan for a constrained financial environment in the NHS, simulation tools have become vital in helping to model leaner processes and are an essential part of the decision-making toolkit for healthcare providers.

The NHS Institute selected SIMUL8 Corporation (www.SIMUL8.com) to develop and provide a strategic simulation and modelling tool, Scenario Generator, to the majority of Primary Care Trusts in NHS England and SIMUL8 Corporation is now offering a similar package to healthcare providers.

The package will give providers a copy of SIMUL8 Professional, the industry standard simulation software package, together with training and support for a year. SIMUL8 Professional allows users to model processes at an operational level, and to answer detailed questions such as:

• How can I make pathways within a hospital run more effectively?
• How do I introduce new clinical procedures or new technologies to gain maximum benefit?
• What is the most efficient way of managing my operating theatres?
• How do I manage the transition to single sex wards?
• If demand goes up at what point should I employ more staff, or increase bed capacity, how many do I need?
• What are the financial implications of any of the above?

In addition, SIMUL8 Corporation has also created a facility for Primary Care Trusts to be able to transfer their own simulated commissioning pathways to provider organisations. This will allow providers to test these pathways in SIMUL8 Professional and to model in their own assumptions so that both providers and commissioners can consider the benefits of new commissioning intentions.

SIMUL8 Corporation also expects to be able to give providers pre-modelled pathways simulating the impact of best-practice secondary care procedures, using the NHS Institute’s ‘Delivering Quality and Value Focus On’ series of pathways.

Dr Nick Gaunt, the lead for modelling and simulation at the NHS Institute said:

“I am very pleased that SIMUL8 Corporation is offering this package to healthcare providers. Through our work with Primary Care Trusts using Scenario Generator we have seen the significant benefits that simulation technology can bring to planning and decision-making. This kind of software really comes into its own as healthcare providers test out new ways of meeting the challenges set by the QIPP agenda.”

The SIMUL8 package is currently on offer for £5,995 (normally £6,995) if purchased before the end of March 2010.

More information is available at www.SIMUL8.com/QIPP. Please direct any enquiries to:

Aimee Hill
Telephone: 0141 552 6888
Email: AimeeH@SIMUL8.com

Notes to the editor:

SIMUL8 Corporation

SIMUL8 Corporation is a provider of business performance improvement software that enhances the way people make and communicate decisions. Our customers include a wide range of business, government, and educational bodies. SIMUL8 enables organisations to improve productivity and reduce costs, whilst minimising risk.

SIMUL8 has worked with the NHS on a number of projects including:

• Effective management of calls to NHS 24 during peak periods
• Managing waiting times in A&E
• The case for the closure of a maternity department
• Efficient management of an operating theatre
• Review of the configuration of acute service providers to provide safe, accessible specialty services

About SIMUL8 Corporation:
SIMUL8 Corporation develops, markets, and supports business simulation software that enhances the way people make and communicate decisions. Our customers include a wide range of business, government, and educational bodies. In fact, any organization that handles flows of orders, people, transactions, or products can benefit from using simulation software.

Company Contact Information
SIMUL8 Corporation
Steven Lee
St. James Road
G4 0LT
Phone : 0141 552 6888