Barking and Dagenham College pair help design NHS app
Barking and Dagenham College students Mark Bewes (left) and Sam Bowen (right) with Ellen Kerr (centre). - Credit: Archant
A pair of aspiring technology designers have helped create an innovative new app which could help improve efficiency in the health industry.
Mark Bewes, 26, from Dagenham, and Sam Bowen, 26, from Rainham, worked with the North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) to design the software, aimed to save mental health doctors time when finding treatment and care guidance.
The pair, who are both studying an Access to IT course at Barking and Dagenham College, were commissioned to provide the technical platform to bring the new Doctors On Call Support (DOCS) app to life – believed to be the first of its kind in the UK.
The software will replace hundreds of pages of online guidance documents and can be accessed from any smart phone or tablet without internet connection, with built-in features to ensure policies, and guidelines are always up-to-date.
“It has been a rewarding project because the NELFT DOCS app has a valuable purpose,” said Mark.
“Giving students exposure to real client briefs is what makes the Barking and Dagenham College experience so different.”
The app is quickly becoming an essential resource that mental health doctors across NELFT and junior mental health doctors in training are returning to again and again.
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Dr Mohan Bhat, NELFT medical director, who with his colleagues trains mental health doctors and led the initiative for NELFT, said: “This is just one measure NELFT is using to ensure junior mental health doctors follow the correct clinical procedures and guidelines, and they have easy access to them.”
