IT looks like an unassuming building hidden at the back of St James's Hospital, but this is the hub of a critical part of the city's NHS.

The transport office organises the work of the hospital trust's 40 vehicles which collectively clock up over a million miles a year.
You may not have noticed them, but you may well have unwittingly benefitted from their service.

They transport samples, such as blood tests, from GPs to hospital laboratories.

Other critical samples, like those taken during clinics or operations, and medical records are among their other important cargo.

Just as crucially, the service also runs shuttles between the five main sites run by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust: Leeds General Infirmary, St James's, Wharfedale Hospital, Chapel Allerton Hospital and Seacroft Hospital.

Managing a fleet of vehicles and ensuring everything happens as it should is a mammoth task.

Dave Taylor, facilities manager for transport services, said previously that was done on paper.

"There's only so much you can do with a paper management system," he said.

But a new vehicle management system has made that much easier and the whole system more efficient.

Small tracking devices which use satellite technology have been fitted inside each of their vehicles.

Standing in front of a large wall-mounted flatscreen monitor, Dave can pinpoint exactly where any of them is.

Tiny icons show the locations of the vans across Leeds, with flat or 3D representations meaning you can work out where they are in relation to other landmarks.

Dave shows that it's even possible to get a bird's eye view of where the vehicle is at that moment, useful when they're in a complex such as one of the hospital sites.

But that's not all the system does.

It not only shows whether the vehicle is idling, stopped or moving, it even can show what speed it is doing.

That means they can identify traffic delays, make sure their drivers observe speed limits and tell if a delivery is taking longer than normal.

Because drivers all have their own ID code which they must input before setting off, their managers also know who is driving at any one time.

And the system has enabled them to plan their workload much better and more efficiently.

The fleet has been reduced from 50 to 40 vehicles because routes are better planned, with 10 older vehicles taken off the road.
New multi-function vehicles which can transport people as well as samples and other medical goods have been introduced.

A new emergency vehicle has also been added which means urgent samples taken during an operation can be whisked by blue light to the labs for testing, possibly enabling a diagnosis while surgery is actually going on.

Previously a specialist firm had to provide this but thanks to the new system laboratory workers can see exactly where the specimen is and when it will arrive.

"The lab can see where the vehicle is and can build their work around it," Dave said.

"It's such a high priority as the patient is undergoing the operation and we can get a diagnosis back to them within minutes."

Useful as the system is, Dave and the team admit there were initial fears from staff that it was a bit like Big Brother.

However it has not been used to reduce staffing – driver numbers have remained the same.

As Dave points out, any worker doing their job properly has no need to worry.

According to Craige Richardson, head of facilities at the trust, it means drivers are better protected too – they can't get accused of tripping a traffic light camera or speeding if they haven't.

They've also been issued with panic alarms, especially useful because working alone can make them vulnerable.

"Not only are we looking after our assets with the vehicles, but the driver as well," he said.

Other security features mean the hospital trust's security control room is alerted if a vehicle is taken beyond certain boundaries, which deters thieves.

In addition, the better planned routes means fewer journeys, meaning less mileage, savings on fuel and a cut in carbon emissions.

Dave said: "It's quite important as a trust that we do our bit to contribute to a reduction in carbon."

To that end drivers have also undergone training in Safed – Safe and Fuel Efficient Driving.

Since the telemetric system was introduced in April, the miles clocked up by the fleet have been cut from 1.2m a year to 720,000, saving huge amounts of fuel and 40 tonnes of carbon.

Huge cash savings of £36,000 – three times the cost of installing it, have also been made.

Though similar technology is common in private firms, Leeds hospitals are the only NHS organisation in the country to have this type and size of telemetric system.

"Transport is not usually very high profile but a lot depends on it," Mr Richardson added.

"If we don't transport the specimens for diagnosis, patients don't get their results.

"If we don't deliver the staff to the site where they work, it could affect our services.

"There's an awful lot there."