East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest hospital trusts in England, has implemented over 660 EasyLog Wi-Fi temperature data loggers across five hospital sites. Led by the Quality Assurance team, this trust-wide rollout aimed to enhance compliance, reduce medicine waste and streamline visibility by integrating real-time temperature data directly into ward-level digital systems.
Tackling Compliance Across Five Hospital Sites
Ensuring stable and compliant temperature conditions for storing medicines is essential in NHS hospitals. Historically, this task depended on manual Min/Max thermometer checks, which lacked detailed data and immediate feedback. As a result, it was challenging to quickly address temperature fluctuations, putting sensitive, high-value medicines at risk.
With hundreds of fridges, clinical rooms, labs and storage spaces spread across five hospital sites, East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust required a scalable, cloud-enabled solution capable of:
- Continuous temperature monitoring
- Providing real-time alerts and alarms
- Integrating with digital systems across the hospital
- Enhancing staff awareness and speeding up response times
Rollout of Smart WiFi Temperature Loggers
More than 660 EasyLog EL-WiFi temperature monitoring devices were installed throughout the main hospital sites, including wards, clinical rooms, medicine refrigerators and the entire pharmacy and manufacturing departments. These devices were connected to the Trust’s electronic patient whiteboards, allowing all staff to monitor the status of the loggers. The whiteboard alerts were set up to flash red if temperatures were too high, blue if too low, and to display Wi-Fi or battery issues with additional visual cues for immediate recognition at the ward level.
“Each ward now displays fridge and room temperatures in real-time, right alongside patient details” said Grace Hards, Quality Assurance Technician. “When a fridge goes out of range, it flashes red or blue, immediately alerting staff to take action.”
Additionally, alerts are sent to the hospital switchboard, which contacts the relevant departments by phone whenever a breach occurs. The system also monitors Mean Kinetic Temperature (MKT), which is crucial for assessing medicine stability, particularly in ambient conditions during heatwaves.
Results: Better Visibility, Safer Storage, Reduced Waste
By implementing a WiFi temperature monitoring system, East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust gained instant, trust-wide visibility of medicine storage conditions. Live data displayed on electronic whiteboards and accessible via the cloud empowers staff to act quickly and confidently, ensuring patient safety and regulatory compliance.
The key outcomes from this deployment include:
- Stronger Compliance: Automated logging combined with Mean Kinetic Temperature (MKT) tracking streamlines audit processes and enhances quality assurance.
- Waste Reduction: Staff make informed decisions during temperature excursions, significantly reducing unnecessary medicine disposal.
- Integrated Digital Workflow: The system’s seamless integration with hospital-wide digital platforms removes the need for manual checks, improving efficiency.
- Dependable Support: The Trust benefits from responsive customer service, with praise for the timely assistance provided by their dedicated contact.
This robust, cloud-based solution not only improves operational efficiency but also strengthens the NHS Foundation Trust’s commitment to medicine safety and compliance across all sites.
Why EasyLog?
East Kent NHS Foundation Trust chose EasyLog for its advanced features that meet their specific needs:
- MKT Functionality: Provides crucial temperature stability data beyond simple averages, especially important for ambient areas during heatwaves.
- Cloud-Based Access: Offers seamless multi-site visibility and automated record-keeping.
- Time Zone Accuracy: Automatically adjusts for daylight saving, ensuring precise audit timestamps.
“We evaluated other providers for cost and performance; EasyLog came out on top.”
Feedback That Drives Future Innovation
Although the system has greatly enhanced operations, the Trust provided valuable feedback to support future improvements:
- Allow for longer device names
- Expand character limits in comment fields during setup
- Enable alarm event comments to appear in summary reports
This input helps shape ongoing product development at Lascar Electronics and highlights their dedication to continuous improvement.
Looking Ahead: Expanding a Trusted Partnership
With proven success across a demanding NHS environment, EasyLog continues to be a trusted partner in safeguarding medicine storage conditions—every day, across every ward. The Trust is now exploring broader applications of the technology, including potential use in gas testing and additional pathology departments.
“We’ve gone from reactive, limited temperature snapshots to a proactive, trust-wide system. It saves time, reduces waste and enhances patient safety.”