East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust, one of the largest hospital trusts in England, has implemented over 660 Lascar Electronics 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.
Challenge
Maintaining consistent and compliant temperature conditions for medicine storage is critical across NHS hospitals. Traditionally, this relied on manual Min/Max thermometer readings, which lacked granularity and real-time responsiveness. This created uncertainty when responding to potential temperature excursions, risking the stability of high-value medicines.
With hundreds of fridges, clinical rooms, labs, and storage areas across five hospital sites, East Kent Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust needed a scalable, cloud-based solution that could:
- Provide continuous temperature monitoring
- Offer real-time alerts and alarms
- Integrate with hospital-wide digital systems
- Improve staff awareness and response times
Solution
Over 660 Lascar EL-WiFi temperature monitoring devices were deployed across all main hospital sites including wards, clinical rooms, medicine fridges, as well as the entire pharmacy and manufacturing units. All devices were linked to the Trust’s electronic patient whiteboards, meaning all staff have visibility of the status of the loggers. These alerts within the whiteboard interface were configured to flash red when too hot, blue when too cold, and show Wi-Fi or battery status issues with additional visual indicators providing instant visibility 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.”
In addition, alerts are routed to the hospital switchboard, which notifies relevant departments by phone when a breach is detected. The system also tracks Mean Kinetic Temperature (MKT), vital for evaluating medicine stability, especially in ambient areas during heatwaves.
Results
- Full Visibility Across Sites: Live temperature readings are displayed on whiteboards and accessible via the cloud.
- Improved Compliance: MKT data and automatic logging simplify audits and support quality assurance.
- Reduced Waste: Staff can make evidence-based decisions during excursions, minimising unnecessary disposal.
- Seamless Integration: Integration with hospital digital systems eliminates the need for manual checks.
- Reliable Support: “Emma, our contact, is always quick to help with outstanding customer service.”
Why Lascar Electronics?
- MKT Functionality: “Other devices only offer averages. MKT is crucial for our ambient areas, especially during heatwaves in old buildings.”
- Cloud-Based Access: Enables multi-site visibility and automated record-keeping.
- Time Zone Accuracy: Devices auto-adjust for daylight saving, ensuring accurate timestamps for audit trails.
- Procurement Fit: Lascar Electronics meets all requirements for bulk procurement, performance, and value.
“We evaluated other providers for cost and performance; Lascar Electronics came out on top.”
East Kent NHS Foundation Trust Feedback & Suggestions
While the system has significantly improved operations, the NHS Foundation Trust offered constructive feedback for future development:
- Increased character allowance for device names
- More space in comment sections during device setup
- The ability to display alarm event comments in summary reports
These insights help inform product development and reflect Lascar’s commitment to continuous improvement.
Looking Ahead
The NHS Foundation Trust is exploring further applications of Lascar’s technology, including potential expansion into gas testing and additional pathology departments.
Final Thoughts
“We’ve gone from reactive, limited temperature snapshots to a proactive, trust-wide system. It saves time, reduces waste, and enhances patient safety.”
With proven performance across a demanding NHS environment, Lascar Electronics remains a trusted partner in safeguarding medicine storage conditions – every day, across every ward.
