Working in partnership with Virtual Pedagogue Ltd, Course-Source provided online training to medics working in hospitals in Derby, Leicester, Sheffield and Nottingham. Teaching the basic skills needed to use Intra-Operative Cell Salvage (ICS), a method of blood transfusion that uses patients' own blood in advance of practical training in the operating theatre, the e-learning course was so successful that the NHS is now rolling it out nationwide.
During the ICS procedure, any blood lost during surgery is collected, cleaned and returned to the patient, so risks to his or her health through transfusion related infections or adverse reactions are minimised. The process can be used for a wide range of surgical procedures; it eliminates the need to store blood before transfusion and helps conserve dwindling donor blood supplies.
When rolled out to NHS hospitals nationwide, the ICS e-learning programme has the potential to save the NHS millions of pounds each year. Eliminating the costs of obtaining, screening, storing, screening and transfusing donor blood, one hospital alone saved 450 blood units during the pilot training period, representing a saving of around £20,000.
Training was originally overseen by a committee called TACTICS (Training, Assessment and Competency in Trent Intra-operative Cell Salvage). TACTICS chose to work with Course-Source because the company provides the Learning Management System underpinning delivery of the NHS European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL), training to over 180,000 users nationwide.
Mike Leeson, Managing Director of Course-Source, says: "Course-Source is delighted to win acclaim at the National Training Awards and we are particularly pleased to be an overall winner for this project. I am sure the judges recognised that while our training has improved skills and saved money within the NHS, it also had the far more significant effect of saving lives, with the potential to save countless more. No training provider could wish for a better return on investment."
About Course-Source
Course-Source provides a multi-award winning hosted Learning Management System and offers the broadest range of UK produced e-learning content. A current finalist in the 2006 National Training Awards, the company will be exhibiting at stand M50A at the CIPD exhibition in Harrogate, October 24-26.
Suzanne Evans
suzanne[at]suzanne-evans.co.uk
07973 149104