News

Princess Alexandra Hospital awards £28 million EPR contract

The 1o-year deal was awarded using the London Procurement Partnership Clinical Digital Solution Framework, and is set to run to February 2033.

The programme forms part of the trust’s ambitions to “be one of the most technologically advanced in the country”, according to its digital strategy. Here, they lay out their aims over the next 7 years to be 100 percent paperless, create a patient-centric and data-driven learning health system, and use smart devices, robotics and connected systems, all underpinned by flexible, scalable and secure technology.

The trust is part of Hertfordshire and West Essex ICS; the ICS recently published its digital strategy with a focus on technology and transformation.

The digital strategy highlights how the ICS will be supporting transformation initiatives as needed with ICS-wide solutions that remain consistent with place level; making a measurable difference to the collective health and care provision across the region through common approaches to digital technology; improving the commonality of digital solutions and their interoperability; driving digital maturity; and securing the best value for the ICS through digital investments.

The strategy opens with a comment from Dr Jane Haplin, CEO and SRO For Digital Transformation Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB. Dr Haplin highlights the ‘What Good Looks Like’ framework in developing their strategy and states: “Better and faster sharing of information between residents, patients and care staff gives residents a better experience and also helps us make services more efficient. Digital tools that capture information or carry out analytical tasks will help increase safety and quality… Our digital strategy is ambitious and forward looking – and we don’t expect the journey to be easy to deliver. It will give us the base to build better pathways for residents now and in the future.”

In November, for HTN Let’s Talk, we spoke with Jeffrey Wood, Deputy Director of ICT at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust. Here we discussed Jeffrey’s career, digital programmes across the hospital and ICS, challenges, and how to develop digital across a workforce.