From proof of concept to national programme

The Scan4Safety journey began in 2016 with six demonstrator sites proving that barcode scanning and GS1 standards could transform safety and efficiency. The results were compelling: improved traceability of medical devices, reduced variation in practice, significant cost savings, and most importantly, safer care for patients.

Building on this success, the programme has grown steadily. In England, around 50% of NHS trusts have inventory management systems and approximately 40% are scanning products and devices to the point of care. This represents substantial progress, but also highlights the opportunity ahead.

Strong partnerships driving change

Delivery of Scan4Safety is a collaborative effort, with leadership and responsibilities shared across key national organisations:

NHS England

Provides overall programme leadership and alignment with national strategies, including the Digital Clinical Safety Strategy. NHS England has set clear expectations for adoption and integration with wider digital transformation priorities.

NHS Supply Chain

Leading the rollout of Inventory Management Systems to trusts nationwide and implementing policies on data standards for supplier product coding. GS1 standards are highlighted as the preferred data coding standard for products, supporting consistent implementation.

GS1 UK

As the non-profit organisation and NHS partner, GS1 UK supports adoption of globally. These standards are mandated by the e-procurement strategy and driven nationally by NHS standards DCB1077 and DAPB0108, sitting within NHS England’s TSAS team.

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)

Ensuring regulatory alignment and patient safety standards, with GS1 standards integral to the regulatory framework for medical devices.

NHS Commercial

Has set Scan4Safety as one of the priorities in the Strategic Framework for NHS Commercial, recognising it as the most effective way of capturing data at the point of care.

Building momentum across the UK

Progress continues to accelerate at national level. NHS Supply Chain’s rollout of inventory management systems is expanding, and the NHS mandate on Medical Device Outcome Registries requires barcode scanning of implantable devices, ensuring national consistency in device traceability.

In parallel, a national Closed Loop Medicines Administration initiative is exploring the use of barcode scanning for dispensing and administration of pharmaceuticals in hospitals, strengthening safety and efficiency in medicines management.

NHS Blood and Transplant are developing a new blood services strategy which includes embedding barcode scanning to improve the safety of blood product administration and enhance tracking of blood samples for more reliable laboratory workflows.

Integration with key NHS initiatives

GS1 standards and Scan4Safety are integral to several key NHS initiatives:

• Patient Identification: GS1 standards facilitate accurate patient identification through automated technologies, reducing errors and enhancing patient safety.
• Outcomes Registries Platform: Standardised data capture supports comprehensive outcomes registries, enabling better tracking of patient outcomes and evidence-based improvements.
• Med Tech Strategy: GS1 barcoding standards ensure medical devices are accurately tracked from manufacture to point of care, improving supply chain efficiency and regulatory compliance.
• New Hospitals Programme: All hospitals delivered from 2027 will use GS1 standards in construction and operational phases, with routine Scan4Safety adoption required for new commissioned facilities.

Cross-UK adoption

The benefits of Scan4Safety are being recognised across all four UK nations:

• Scotland: The Scottish Government’s digital strategy now provides funding for a national Scan4Safety programme for Scottish hospitals.
• Wales: The Welsh Government’s national data strategy funds a national Scan4Safety programme using the NHS number as the single patient identifier.
• Northern Ireland: The Department of Health in Northern Ireland is rolling out EPIC as their single electronic patient record across all health and care settings, using GS1 standards for asset identification.

Regulatory and policy support

Multiple organisations now recognise Scan4Safety’s importance:

• The Health Services Safety Investigations Board (HSSIB) has issued numerous calls for Scan4Safety adoption and use of the GS1 single national patient identifier.
• NHS England provided central funding for the Inventory Management System pilot rollout and chose three GS1 UK ‘Approved’ partners as.
• The Government’s mandate to NHS England called for all trusts to adopt barcode scanning by 2024, with data submitted to the mandatory Medical Device Outcome Registry.