Three NHS trusts and NHS England have approved a financial plan for a shared electronic patient record system.
Following approval of the outline business case, The Queen Elizabeth Hospitals King’s Lynn NHS FT, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS FT and James Paget University Hospitals NHS FT now have the go-ahead to procure a single EPR.
A supplier is anticipated to be selected by autumn this year. As part of the programme so far, the organisations have been auditing their current systems to understand what the new EPR will need to integrate with.
It comes as part of a major milestone in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System Digital Roadmap, which “promises more investment into technology and the rollout of more digital tools to improve care”.
Sam Higginson, Chief Executive at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS FT and Senior Responsible Officer for the EPR Programme, said: “The Electronic Patient Record programme is hugely exciting and a flagship project for the three acute hospitals in Norfolk and Waveney and we’re delighted our outline business case has been approved at a national level.
“A team of clinical staff, managers and digital health colleagues have been working hard in the background on this transformative project and we are looking forward to engaging further with staff, patients and stakeholders in the coming months.
“The EPR will improve patient care and allow us to manage clinical information to make it more easily available for hospital clinicians, other healthcare professionals and patients.”
Ian Riley, Director of Digital and Data for the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board, added: “It’s fantastic that the EPR programme has hit this landmark in a journey which has spanned many years. I’d like to recognise the work staff across our three acute hospitals have contributed towards this programme. We’re looking forward to the future and bringing this innovative technology to Norfolk and Waveney.”
Sharing more on the programme, the ICS published an overview video below as part of its ‘better joined-up’ campaign:
