Healthcare start-up Careful has launched a platform that aims to help make handover safer and speed-up patient flow in hospitals and care homes.

Established last year, Careful says its app enable clinicians to capture and update health data and records of patients in hospital and in care homes, providing a constantly updated, holistic view of every patient’s plan of care.

It works on mobile, tablet or desktop presenting information for each patient, along with task lists assigned to individuals, clarifying who needs to do what, and when. As staff change shift, and patients move through the hospital, tasks and status information move with them – even out into the community or home. As a result, Careful contends, patients and staff know at all times what is happening, and who is responsible.

Careful founder and chief executive Dr DJ Hamblin-Brown said: “Careful is a simple-to-use and easy-to-implement application which helps hospitals communicate internally, and also with patients and their families. Although clinicians take handover very seriously, errors still occur because staff are let down by the systems they are forced to use. With desperate shortages of clinical staff, hospitals need Careful to help save money and save lives. Careful can be up-and-running in any hospital, clinic, or care home in a matter of days.

“In care homes, agency staff and chronic staff shortages create a significant challenge for safe handover. Managing communication between staff, patients, families, hospital services and GPs is also fraught with difficulty. Careful is the only system that knits this together seamlessly to support these stakeholders across institutional boundaries.”