Listen to this articleBelow is our recent interview with James Minards, Country Sales Manager UK & Ireland at GHX:
Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to GHX?
A: We’re a global healthcare business and data automation company contributing to safer and more standardised patient care by using our world-class cloud-based supply chain technology exchange platform, solutions, analytics and services. Essentially, we link suppliers with healthcare providers and use our technology to maximise industry savings while increasing patient safety and helping our customers comply with relevant regulatory standards. Our vision is for a more operationally efficient healthcare supply chain, helping organisations reduce – not shift – the cost of doing business, paving the way to delivering care more effectively.
Q: The UK User Forum is a focal point in GHX’s year. Can you tell us more about the event and in particular the focus for this year’s event in June?
A: Sharing industry insights and innovation has always been an important part of GHX’s proposition, and the UK User Forum is the perfect opportunity to bring together some of the most influential and inspirational figures in the healthcare supply chain to help shape the future of our industry. We’ve got speakers from award-winning NHS Trusts and major suppliers, to provide a 360-degree view of where the healthcare industry is headed, alongside practical insights on how to align with this. Hot topics will include GS1 standards and Scan4Safety – a Department of Health initiative to improve patient care, clinical productivity and supply chain efficiency within the NHS.
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Q: Can you give us insights into your solutions?
A: We have numerous solutions for both suppliers and providers. Our eCommerce platform serves both parties using GHX Exchange technology that is a PEPPOL-certified access point and the largest healthcare trading platform in the world. It integrates into any ERP system and processes procure-to-pay or order-to-cash documents in a matter of seconds, eliminating manual business processes, cutting errors and reducing rework. In the UK and Ireland, it’s used by 150 Trusts and 350 suppliers who appreciate the swift, secure and reliable transmission of electronic business documents.
When it comes to catalogue management for providers, our cloud-based solution NEXUS provides accurate and up-to-date information and is readily available and accessible from anywhere – through the web-based interface – or integrated into the healthcare setting’s existing ERP. More than 2.5m items are already loaded into NEXUS. For suppliers HealthNEXUS is the equivalent, and allows them to import, update and manage catalogue data in one place before publishing it to customers and the wider GHX community of connected hospitals in one go. This solution improves supply chain efficiency and customer experience because it reduces errors and the need for costly manual intervention.
Of course, a key component of success with supply chain solutions is accurate data – this is vital to operating seamlessly and meeting regulatory obligations. We have a team of expert healthcare data analysts who can cleanse all product information and classify it according to the latest standards, adding attributes where necessary and enriching the data where beneficial.
Once healthcare providers have the equipment they need, it’s important they know where it is and when they will need more. We use GS1-ready barcode and scanner technology for this. PowerGate can be configured to suit different departments and allows providers to have control and visibility over their inventory. It can be used to track, trace and recall any critical items, as well as allocate items to specific patients, procedures and consultants, and can automate orders based on stock levels and expiration dates.
These solutions are just some of the ways we are contributing to improving efficiency and patient safety within healthcare.
Q: Who do you work with?
A: We work with healthcare providers, group purchasing organisations, manufacturers and distributors who rely on smart healthcare-focused technology and comprehensive data to automate their business processes and make more informed, timely and fact-based decisions. On a global scale there are more than 6,800 organisations in our community.
Q: What’s in store for the healthcare supply chain in 2019?
A: Certainly, within the NHS the new supply chain model is now in place and operational with the aim to deliver £2.4bn of savings by 2022/3 underway. The plan is to provide clinically-assured, high-quality products at the best value for the NHS by using the collective purchasing power of the organisation. This coupled with the boosted accelerator programme that will fast-track promising digital services, medicines and diagnostic tools to NHS patients suggests that getting into the NHS market will be easier and as a result more competitive. This should speed up processes and also create opportunities for new ways of working. There is potential for efficiencies and economies by implementing one solution across many sites. GHX solutions are involved with both the delivery and enablement of this strategy.
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Q: What are your plans for the future?
A: The healthcare market is ever-changing, and we will continue to embrace the opportunities presented to us. We will continue to collaborate with our customers and Industry leaders, using innovation to develop healthcare solutions to retain our standing as a global leader in the field. And, of course, we will keep on top of technological advancements and in the loop when it comes to legislation. We’ve been operating for 20 years and have every intention to be around for many more decades to come.
