AN INNOVATIVE new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) has been launched at North Cumbria Integrated Care and the NHS trust has been praised for its industry-leading management of the phase one rollout.
Andy Laverick, Chief Information Officer and Director of Digital at NCIC informed leaders at a meeting last week that the system went live on May 12.
Although just the first phase of a trust-wide rollout, the EPR went live across adult, acute and inpatient departments, following a "significant amount of work."
The new system is hailed as a "major step forward in improving patient record accessibility," as it allows staff to record and view patient information in real time, monitor changes in a patient’s condition and make referrals to specialist teams more easily.
Mr Laverick thanked staff, both clinical and on the digital side of the trust for their support with the rollout.
NHS England representatives were in the command centre and on the wards to see the EPR sent live, finding that the rollout was "successful" and "well managed."
In particular, NHS England said that the arrangements in the command centre "represented best practice."
Mr Laverick, said: "The successful introduction of our EPR is a major milestone for North Cumbria and one of the most significant digital transformations the Trust has undertaken.
"What makes this achievement particularly special is the way our staff embraced the change and worked together to deliver what has been recognised nationally as an exemplar implementation.
"For patients, this means clinicians have quicker access to accurate information, enabling safer, more coordinated care wherever they are treated across our hospitals and community services.
"While this is an important milestone, it is only the beginning of our wider digital transformation journey, helping us build a more connected, efficient and sustainable healthcare service for the communities we serve."
Julie McColm, Ward Manager at the Cumberland Infirmary, said: "Having everything in one place has made a real difference to how we work.
"We can quickly see the information we need about our patients, which makes handovers clearer and helps us plan care more effectively. It’s helping us spend less time on paperwork and more time with our patients."
Chairman of NCIC, Stephen Singleton thanked Mr Laverick for his own work on the rollout.
Phase 2 will see the EPR extended into the system into Emergency Departments and paediatric services
Phase 3 rolling out the system to outpatient services and theatres
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