Staff at online retailer Shop Direct have raised 拢210,000 in just 12 months to support the development of a new digital app for Alder Hey Children鈥檚 Hospital.
In the year since deciding upon Alder Hey Children鈥檚 Charity as Shop Direct鈥檚 charity partner, the 4,700-strong team at sites in Liverpool and Manchester have climbed mountains, sung, run, cycled, abseiled, played 鈥榖eat the goalie鈥� and completed their own version of The Biggest Loser to raise funds.
Members of Shop Direct鈥檚 multi-award winning ecommerce team have also been working with Alder Hey鈥檚 innovation team to develop the app 鈥� the first of its kind in the country 鈥� providing expert insight and advice on design, development and personalisation.
The shared vision of the Alder Hey and Shop Direct teams is to revolutionise the patient experience by harnessing the power of consumer technology to help patients be better informed, calmer, more entertained and, as a result, healthier.
Iain Hennessey, consultant paediatric surgeon and clinical lead for innovation at Alder Hey, said: 鈥淪hop Direct has in common with Alder Hey a drive to innovate and do things differently, which has made them the perfect partner for us in developing our digital hospital vision.
鈥淭ogether, we鈥檝e been exploring how we can apply Shop Direct鈥檚 digital retail expertise to the hospital environment to create our own online 鈥榮hop front鈥� for Alder Hey.
鈥淲e鈥檝e also been overwhelmed by the engagement of the entire Shop Direct team in smashing their 拢200,000 target for our children鈥檚 charity, which will go such a long way to enable us to make the Digital Alder Hey app a reality.
鈥淭hank you to everyone at Shop Direct from all of us at Alder Hey. We couldn鈥檛 have achieved what we have without your expert advice and fundraising. You are our heroes.鈥�
Ice Creates, a specialist Liverpool-based digital consultancy, has now begun work to develop the app, which will include a digital map enabling patients to explore and familiarise themselves with the hospital and their ward before they visit the hospital.
Users will be able to find out everything they need to know before their visit, from where to park to what to pack and what their rooms will look like.
The app will also feature games, providing entertainment and much-needed distraction for patients to reduce anxiety while they wait. A rewards scheme will also be used to encourage healthy lifestyle choices.
Alex Baldock, group CEO at Shop Direct, which uses artificial intelligence to boost profits, said: 鈥淎lder Hey is a charity that鈥檚 been close to our hearts at Shop Direct for a long time and I was delighted when our colleagues voted last year to support the development of the Digital Alder Hey app.
鈥淲e鈥檙e proud of our heritage in the North West and it was important to us to select a charity that has a significant impact in our local communities. Alder Hey does that and then some.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 be prouder of the effort everyone at Shop Direct has put in to raise 拢210,000 over the last 12 months. Our colleagues鈥� ambition, passion and commitment has surpassed even our own expectations.
鈥淎s a team, we鈥檙e pleased that we鈥檝e also been able to provide digital skills and expertise to help Alder Hey develop the app and get the project off the ground.
鈥淲e look forward to continuing our strategic partnership with Alder Hey on this important project, which will make such a difference to so many children and families across the North West, and to seeing the final product next year.鈥�
Alder Hey鈥檚 aim for the digital hospital programme is to further develop the app and join all of this to a secure patient information system, which will hold key information about the patient, such as their likes, dislikes and specific needs.
This will remove the need for families to repeatedly provide the same information at every visit and ensure that they receive a more personalised service.
The app is expected to launch in 2017.