Healthcare

Harnessing the power of standards
to enhance patient safety
and traceability.

We work with industry to promote and amplify the use of our standards throughout the supply chain and patient pathway.

GS1 standards are used for the unique identification of every person, every product, and every place, to enable end-to-end traceability from manufacturer to patient.

Since our standards are both system and device agnostic, the data captured can then be shared seamlessly between systems and organisations to enable interoperability.

Mandated by The Department of Health and Social Care as part of the NHS eProcurement Strategy, the adoption of GS1 standards went on to be piloted as part of the Scan4Safety programme.

Traceability and interoperability

There are a series of GS1 Identification Keys that are used in healthcare to enable transparency throughout the supply chain and patient pathway. These keys allow for people, products and places to be identified seamlessly, in a standardised format, so that the data captured is consistent.

Our GS1 standards are also both system and device agnostic, allowing this vital data to then be shared between systems and organisations to facilitate system-wide interoperability.

Common GS1 standards in healthcare

Global Service Relation Number (GSRN)

Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)

Global Location Number (GLN)

Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI)

Global Document Type Identifier (GDTI)

Electronic Product Code Information Services (EPCIS)

The three core enablers

People

Using the GS1 Global Service Relation Number (GSRN) to identify patients and staff.

Products

Using the GS1 Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) to identify products and devices.

Places

Using the GS1 Global Location Number (GLN) to identify organisations and locations.

The use cases

Asset management

Using the GS1 Global Individual Asset Identifier (GIAI) and GRAIs (returnable) to identify and trace assets.

Inventory Management

Using Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) in systems to monitor and trace products across locations.

Medicines administration

Using Global Trade Item Numbers (GTINs) to track medicines to ensure accurate administration.

Scan4Safety

The Scan4Safety evidence report demonstrated that implementing GS1 standards improves patient safety, reduces unwarranted clinical variation, and drives operational efficiencies – delivering better quality and safety in healthcare.

140,000 hours saved

140,000 hours of clinical time back to patient care

76% reduction in errors

76% reduction in errors caused wrong patient, drug, dose and form

Recalls reduced to 35 minutes

Product recall time reduced from 8.33 days to less than 35 minutes

£9m non-recurrent savings

Non-recurrent inventory reductions of £9m across the six demonstrator sites

£5m recurrent savings

Recurrent inventory savings worth nearly £5m across the six trusts

£3.1m worth of benefits

Cumulative benefits of £3,194,346 realised within two years at Derby

To learn more about Scan4Safety and its impact, download the full report via the link below.

Read the Scan4Safety report

GS1 UK's healthcare groups

Healthcare advisory board

Leading healthcare thought leaders and policy makers, discussing challenges and priorities for the sector and where GS1 standards can support.

Healthcare user group

Senior representatives from healthcare providers, central organisations, and regulators, driving the adoption of GS1 standards nationally.

Healthcare supplier adoption group

A collaboration of healthcare suppliers and manufacturers of all sizes, working together to support GS1 standards adoption across the sector.

Case studies

GS1 standards are helping providers and professionals to be safer, smarter and more successful by giving the entire world of healthcare the power to work wonders.

Take a look