Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust has been shortlisted for the HSJ Awards 2020 for the Mental Health Innovation of the Year. The trust’s entry, ‘A good night’s sleep in hospital – A new standard in mental health’ shines a light on the Oxevision platform. Previously known as Digital Care Assistant, Oxevision enables staff to gather observations from mental health inpatients without waking them at night.

Developed in collaboration with Oxehealth, an Oxford University spin-out, Oxevision observation technology was launched in summer 2019 on the acute inpatient Vaughan Thomas Ward at Warneford Hospital, Oxford. Modern matron Carol Gee, lead research nurse Andrew Wood, consultant psychiatrist and lead of the project, Dr Alvaro Barrera, as well as professor John Geddes, head of the Oxford University Department of Psychiatry, have led the Vaughan Thomas ward team on this exciting development for patients’ care.

While supportive observations every hour, or in some cases every 15 minutes, are necessary for patient care and safety, they can be highly disruptive and distressing, especially when patients are trying to sleep. Oxevision allows staff to carry out the observations without causing sleep disruption. Using infrared illumination and an optical sensor, the Oxevision’s Vital Signs module measures a patient’s pulse and breathing rate using small changes in skin colour and chest movements. Staff can spot-check the patient without entering the room or requiring physical contact of any kind. You can read more about Oxevision here.

This year, the HSJ Awards are celebrating 40 years of healthcare excellence. Winners will be revealed in a virtual ceremony on Wednesday, 17 March 2021. The event is free to attend and you can sign up here.

In 2019, Oxevision (then still called DCA) was named the regional winner for South East in the NHS Parliamentary Awards in the Future NHS category. In the picture above, Andrew Wood, Carol Gee and Alvaro Barrera are celebrating that achievement.

Earlier this year, the system was shortlisted for two categories in the Nursing Times Awards. They didn’t win – but the success of the project continues!

Read also: New technology changes the face of patient care at Oxford Health