In September, we brought together our dedicated community of healthcare leaders for our Ideagen Healthcare Guardian User Groups for 2025. The day was built around a simple but powerful theme: to listen and improve. It was an opportunity for an open, two-way dialogue with the teams who use our system every day, including representatives from NHS trusts, ICBs, and community providers.

The energy in the room was a testament to the shared commitment to enhancing patient safety and quality across the healthcare landscape. These user groups are not just for us to present updates; they are a vital opportunity for us to listen to your experiences and understand how we can improve our partnership.

A foundation of transparency: where we are and where we're going

The day began with an honest and transparent update from Andrew Bingham who set the tone for the sessions to follow. He started by addressing the progress made since Ideagen’s acquisition, detailing the work done behind the scenes to strengthen our infrastructure and better support our customers. This established the event's core principle: an open, two-way conversation where we can all share successes and struggles.

A look at what’s next for Healthcare Guardian

Head of Product, Paul Clinton, took the stage to walk through the product roadmap. The sound of pens on paper and vigorous typing was a clear indicator of the interest in the features being shared.

Several upcoming features captured significant attention, particularly those designed to reduce administrative burdens and enhance data consistency. Key developments include:

• AI-powered tools
• Automation enhancements
• Questionnaire improvements
• Upcoming version upgrades

Investing in your success with a stronger partnership

We want to spend more time with customers, and to do that, we are expanding our Customer Success team to ensure we have the right people with the right skills in the right places to provide dedicated support. This renewed focus on customer enablement is about ensuring you can make the most of the powerful tools within Healthcare Guardian.

Real-world impact: how our customers are driving change

The most valuable part of any user group is hearing directly from the people using our system to make a difference. We were privileged to hear from several customers who shared their journeys, challenges, and successes. Throughout both days, customers took the stage to share what they have achieved in the last year.

Greater Manchester Mental Health’s journey

Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust shared an in-depth look at how they were able to enhance flexibility, improve compliance and streamline workflows through their use of Healthcare Guardian.

Spamedica's Healthcare Guardian work

Spamedica took the stage next, detailing how they simplified workflows, integrated to eliminate duplication and improved their approval stages and record linking. Attendees were particularly impressed by how they have created their own internal training materials to help their staff take up use of the system.

Bedfordshire Hospitals’ journey of transformation

Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust offered a powerful look at how they customized the system to overcome challenges. A key part of their success was a willingness to go back to the drawing board, rebuilding their risk module from the ground up based on direct feedback from risk owners.

Sussex Community’s outstanding approach to CQC assurance

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust shared how their phased rollout strategy and use of the CQC app have transformed their approach to assurance. They built a single source of truth for CQC evidence, linking directly to policies and live reports across all 17 of their service lines. This comprehensive, easily accessible evidence base contributed directly to their "Outstanding" self-assessment rating. Teams reported that the app helped them appreciate the breadth and quality of their own work.

Cambridge and Peterborough ICB’s revolutionary reporting

The team from Cambridge and Peterborough ICB highlighted the immediate impact of their phased rollout, with PALS reporting now taking mere seconds instead of hours. They described moving from a "clunky" previous system to a single digital front door for investigations, streamlining processes and providing rapid information access. Their ambition is to scale this model across the entire ICB cluster for unparalleled system-wide assurance.

Workshop highlights: honest talk from the front lines

The afternoon's Customer Café workshops provided a forum for candid, practical advice on implementation, training, and metrics.

When asked what they would do differently if implementing again, common themes emerged around incumbent suppliers posing problems with data migration, internally assigned resources for the implementation project and internal communications for easier user adoption.

On training, the consensus was that a blended approach works best, combining digital content with hands-on classroom sessions. Best practices shared included creating competency frameworks, using a "train the super user" model, and implementing checklists to confirm understanding.

Improving our processes: professional services and implementation

The feedback from the workshops flowed directly into a discussion on our professional services and implementation process. We heard the need for project managers to have a deeper context of both the product and the NHS, and for a smoother handover from project closure to ongoing support.

Celebrating excellence: the Healthcare Guardian Awards

The day concluded with a celebration of the incredible work our customers do. We were delighted to present awards to four outstanding organizations.

The North:

The Special Recognition Award

We were delighted to present the Special Recognition Award to Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust. GMMH has embarked on a remarkable transformation, addressing long-standing challenges while preparing for future opportunities with inspiring dedication.

The Benefits Realization Award

We also presented the Benefits Realization Award to SpaMedica. After unlocking more system potential, they have used their insights to fuel new ideas, system development, and continuous improvement across their services.

The South:

The Cultural Change Award

Congratulations to Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust! Their work has inspired valuable conversations and built staff confidence around CQC assurance, embedding a positive culture of quality.

The Most Integrated Award

Congratulations to East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust! They have unlocked incredible system potential by integrating multiple modules to fuel new ideas, development, and improvement.

The Benefits Realization Award

Congratulations to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB! Their rapid deployment of the CQC module delivered immediate reporting improvements and is transforming assurance across their system.

The Special Recognition Award

Congratulations to Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust! Their incredible work over the last year has culminated in two HSJ award shortlistings and one brilliant win, showcasing their commitment to excellence.

Our commitments to you

This user group was a powerful reminder of what we can achieve when we work together. Thank you to everyone who attended and contributed with such honesty and collaborative spirit.

To become a part of the community and replicate the success of our user base, book time with the team today.