A dispensing robot used within the pharmacy at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham has been replaced with a new, state-of-the-art replacement, it has been announced.
The more advanced robot has cost approximately £850,000, and is set to play “a key role in our digital transformation while improving services for patients and staff”, the hospital said in a statement.
A tandem machine, named ‘Bert’ and ‘Ernie’, this new device is reportedly more efficient, more reliable and able to hold much more stock than its predecessor, with capacity increasing from 12,000 to 20,000.
Read more: Lancashire hospitals deploy pharmacy prescription robots
The introduction of automation into pharmacies streamlines processes associated with the dispensing of medication and reduces the margins for human error to occur.
Other NHS hospitals to recently invest in pharmacy robotics include both The Royal Preston and Chorley and South Ribble Hospital and the South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust.
