Pencester Surgery, Dover, Kent
This is a fantastic piece of kit which has given us total control over exactly what's happening with our fridges in real time. Manual testing and checking morning and evening is time consuming and only gives us information on a specific moment in time. With RemoteM, we can see at a glance via the online dashboard how our fridges are performing. It gives us the confidence that our vaccines and other temperature sensitive medicines are always ready for use and fit for purpose.- Julie Willis, Nurse Prescriber, Pencester Surgery
About Pencester Surgery
Pencester Surgery is a busy GP practice based in the town of Dover, with approximately 14000 patients on the practice list and offering a wide range of services including asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). They adopted the RemoteM refrigerator monitoring system in 2022, following a local practice managers' meeting where the issue of remote monitoring had been discussed by the group.
Automating manual processes for speed and reliability
Julie Willis was interested in the potential for the RemoteM system when she first heard about it via her practice manager. The practice was using manual recording processes to monitor fridges located in the main treatment room, with responsibility resting with whoever was using the room to carry out the checks. "These are always busy clinics, and it's sometimes difficult to weave additional work into the day," explained Julie. "In addition, if people are on leave, issues can arise around ensuring the regular checks are completed."
It was more than a purely practical consideration for Pencester Surgery. Last year, a power failure out of hours meant the practice lost a significant amount of stock. For Julie, it wasn't just the cost implications of this that raised issues but also the amount of time involved in cancelling vaccination clinics whilst waiting for re-delivery of essential stock.
Improved understanding of the cold chain
The existing fridges have audio alarms and alarm very quickly when out of temperature range, which can be caused by simple procedures like rotating existing stock or restocking. "Now, if we experience alarms, we can verify exactly how long the fridge has been out of range, and can relate that to the stock contents, understanding they're safe and fit for purpose."
Easy to install and manage
Julie also confirmed how simple the RemoteM system was to install and manage on an ongoing basis. "A piece of cake, really! I plugged in my base station, put the nodes in the fridges and hey presto, up and running. If I get an alert, I can go straight to the dashboard to check what's happening, wherever I am. What's more, I have an option there to enter why the alert has happened, such as stock rotation or the door being opened numerous times during a busy baby clinic - and extremely useful at inspection times. It's really easy to manage and has made an enormous difference."
Saving time and money
The practice no longer has to spend valuable time doing manual checks morning and evening, with RemoteM monitoring constantly in the background. Alerts are set to come both to Julie and to the practice manager by mobile phone. "I once got an alert while I was on annual leave, and was able to call my colleague to check on the situation - she was just restocking the fridge! I would 100% recommend RemoteM to other GP practices," confirmed Julie.