Posted: 28/04/2020
Jersey technology business, TSG, has designed, built and implemented an online system to enable local frontline health care workers, and other Island services, to get the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) they need quickly to fight the Coronavirus pandemic.
Following a request from the Government of Jersey, in response to the increase in demand for PPE from within the government and organisations across the island, which required a unique system and process to coordinate, order and distribute PPE, the company’s health division, TSG Health, designed the ‘PPE Online Portal’ and had it ready for testing within 48 hours.
It is simple to use, allowing frontline staff to request the PPE they need, 24 hours a day. The system then passes requests to the PPE Coordination Group which sends approved requests to the local distribution centre. Users will receive their approved requests for PPE later the same day. So far, over 350 orders have been received and processed.
Dr Chris Edmond, Government of Jersey Clinical Lead for Jersey’s PPE Cell, said: “We would really like to thank all of those involved in designing and building this system which is a crucial part of supporting us provide the right PPE that our medical teams need to provide care. The portal makes it much easier for dedicated public and private healthcare staff to have the right equipment to do their essential jobs. Having this system up and running so quickly and so smoothly made a huge difference.”
The system supports nearly 200 organisations in Jersey that need PPE, including those that are carrying out essential work such as the States of Jersey Police, the Prison and Fire Service.
Getting PPE to where it is needed has been one of the key issues globally during the Covid-19 pandemic so far, and TSG’s solution for Jersey has been welcomed in public comments from Chief Minister, Senator John Le Fondré, and the Government’s Chief Executive, Charlie Parker.
Cheryl Kenealy, head of the Jersey Care Federation, said: “We were one of the first local organisations to use the PPE Online Portal and I was amazed at how easy it was to use and how quickly we received the equipment our team needed. PPE has been a hotly debated topic here and in the UK, and it is great to see how one local company has responded to an urgent need to help the Government in these challenging times.”
A team of six from TSG Health worked around-the-clock to complete the online management system, so that the sets of PPE ordered by the Government can be distributed to where they are urgently needed quickly and efficiently.
Andy Delaney, the Chief Executive Officer, TSG Technology Services, said: “This was a challenging project, but one which the team knew was vital to the fight against Covid-19. Even though we were all working from home, we were able to work together with the Government to provide this platform which allows the PPE Cell to manage the demand for equipment, ensuring it gets to the people who need it, when they need it. We are proud we have been able to support our frontline staff by using our IT expertise to provide this solution.”
TSG already provides the billing software used by GP practices across the Channel Islands, and by UK Primary Care bodies.
Tony Moretta, CEO of Digital Jersey added: “It’s great to see the way TSG have responded quickly to put in place a digital system in Jersey which helps deal with an issue troubling governments across the world. It’s a really good example both of the expertise available in Jersey, and how technology can help our community through this crisis.”