The Problem

There are an increasing number of single-bed patient rooms in UK hospitals, increasing the risk of alarms going unheard through walls and closed doors (this has been exacerbated during Covid with more single bed rooms and closed wards for infection control), this increases the risk of major incidences, such as:

From a clinical perspective a failure to respond to alarms can affect the patient in a number of ways, from a failure to receive correct treatment, to a failure to receive prescribed fluids or nutrition, or the right amount of medication. Most concerning is when the alarm is for monitors of cardiac function and blood oxygen saturation. A failure to respond to alarms can lead to the deterioration of the patient’s health, serious injury and even death.

The potential impact on the patient can lead to extended hospital stays and often increased anxiety that the alarm isn’t being responded to, leading to reduced sleep and poor overall opinion of nurses’ ability to meet personal needs. The resulting poor patient feedback and low family and friends score can be detrimental to the hospital.

Staff experience and the effect on staff morale, particularly during Covid is immense. Reports of nursing staff walking wards and corridors to monitor for alarms and inability to prioritise alarm responses are increasing daily leading to reduced time for patient care, alarm fatigue and the potential for a serious event which can impact on mental wellbeing, job satisfaction and increased stress.