Staff and Equip National surveyors had expressed the need for improved design of storerooms in order to deliver greater staff and patient safety needs.
Their approach was to standardise inventory management across Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals to enhance the systems in place and the workplace practices. Standardisation included just-in-time ordering, customising the imprest list to each department’s requirements, improved shelving, storage processes and signage. The reduction in time to approve orders has allowed staff involved in the ordering process to become more efficient.
Although cost savings were not part of the project’s initial aim, executing this standardised approach for one year in a Special Care Nursery department resulted in a saving of $116,000 (approximately 80 per cent). When this project is extended across the whole facility there is a strong potential for significant cost savings while also fostering a culture of ownership from staff regarding their personal safety.
