Addenbrooke’s Hospital engage LMServices to realise their L&D Strategy

Addenbrooke’s Hospital is a prestigious 3 star NHS Foundation Trust based in Cambridge.  With approximately 1,100 beds, it employs over 6,600 staff dedicated to the provision of a wide range of clinical and non-clinical services.

Key to the success of the trust, as with all organisations, is its staff.  As such, the Hospitals HR directorate identified the need to implement systems that can manage the learning and development of its staff and deliver assessment and measurement of all learning activity. LMServices were engaged to recommend and implement the tools to achieve these needs, based on a comprehensive requirement specification.  OnTrack for Training, a product in the Pathlore suit, was the LMS chosen due to its enormous ROI potential. George Divanis, CIO of Addenbrooke’s Hospital stated that “the functionalities and benefits of this solution far outweigh the cost.  

The Hospital will be able to address initiatives such as the National Project for IT (NPfIT), Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST) and Agenda for Change (KSF) with minimum effort, through a single system. A number of applications have been proposed to help deal with these new initiatives but none can accommodate all.  OnTrack for Training delivers impressive Functionality and Scalability, while its superior interoperability gives the option of linking to almost any other system, in particular HR Management Systems. In conjunction with ToolBook e-learning authoring tools Addenbrooke’s have revolutionised their learning environment and signalled the way ahead for the Health Service as a whole. 

Among the varied challenges bought to LMServices was the absence of a core Learning and Development community. The Hospital contains over fifty specialised and very different departments, all managing and administrating their own L&D activity and all in a different manner. This presented real problems not only to the collection of data but in identifying the ongoing ownership and administration of the system.  Under the direction of Joe Zamirski, the project grew to encompass the structure of a virtual learning community headed by the HR Dept. LMServices have been pivotal in helping Addenbrooke’s move their strategy from concept into an achievable action plan.  By centralising all learning activity within the hospital they can better focus on the learning needs of the individual as well as the organisation. 

LMServices final contribution was to deliver two, 30 minute e learning modules designed to familiarise first time users to the LMS.  One module for ‘students’ and the other for ‘managers’.  Both modules were developed using SumTotals Systems ToolBook in order to demonstrate the ease with which high quality, targeted e learning can be developed. 

Addenbrooke’s purchased a number of ToolBook licenses and have has commissioned a suite of workstations within their Learning Centre, dedicated to the development of future e learning.  The use of bite sized e learning has caused quite some excitement, as staff will be able to remain on the wards, where they are most needed, whilst still being able to learn essential new skills.