Digital innovation helps local care homes safely manage medications

Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Health and Care Partnership is supporting local care providers to take advantage of digital tools and systems like Proxy Access so they can provide the best care for their residents. The Digitising Social Care programme is funding a number of projects that either enable digital records, prevent falls, or provide remote monitoring.

Proxy Access is an online service for care providers to share medical information with their residents’ GP practices. Nominated staff can securely order medications and access accurate information in the GP record for residents in their care at any time of the day or night. 

So far, 80 care homes across Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes are using Proxy Access to order their medications more safely and quickly – and it’s improved their working relationships with GP practices.

Kamal Benipal, Registered Manager of Belle Vue Care Home based in Luton said: “Proxy Access makes the process of ordering repeat medication on behalf of the resident hassle-free. There are fewer risks and issues associated with the re-ordering of medication, and it’s given us more flexibility because we can order medication at any time of day.”

Care home staff can use Proxy Access to order medication online, check test results, book appointments, and also see upcoming appointment dates.

Claire Croucher, Registered Manager of Precious Homes in Milton Keynes said: “It’s increased productivity and made things much easier for everybody. It’s increased communication and relationships with the GP surgery, and it reduces time wastage, medication errors and staff stress levels.

“It’s a much more person-centred approach than it ever used to be, and it makes the residents feel much more involved in their care. If you care about the residents, it’s definitely the thing to have.”

Full training and support are provided to the care home staff to get started and to make the most of the system.

For more information about Proxy Access and Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Health and Care Partnership’s Digitising Social Care programme, visit www.blmkhealthandcarepartnership.org/digitising-social-care-disc-programme and select ‘Digital records’. Kamal and Claire are also featured in this video about Proxy Access: