Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust has shared the launch of its EPR will be slightly delayed. Initially scheduled for this month, the trust’s EPR will now go live in November, replacing multiple paper-based workflows with a single, integrated system.
Matthew Trainer, chief executive, stated: “It’s a massive undertaking which we need to get right and it’s why we’ve moved the launch date from this month. We want to ensure everyone has the right training and we’ve addressed any technical issues.
“As many trusts before us have found, the transition from paper to digital can be bumpy. It’s likely to have a short term, adverse impact on our performance as our staff adjust to new ways of working. The benefits though will be considerable for them (many of whom have worked elsewhere and can’t quite believe we’re still in the digital dark ages) and for our patients.”
The board notes to be on track for the planned November go-live date, with a technical gateway focused on data robustness and resilience, and “training for staff gaining momentum, using both online and classroom formats”. The trust adds that a full dress rehearsal is planned for this month, aiming to identify any further learning needs. They also add that “there is a greater emphasis on local clinical accountability and ownership of the clinical safety case, ensuring risks are managed from ward to board.”
A key action from the board is for “clinical and operational teams to optimise processes and achieve a paper-light environment by December 2027”. Here, the board aims for a 50 percent reduction in paper-based clinical documentation post go-live, with hopes this will minimise transcription errors, improve real-time data availability, and strengthen information governance.
On the implementation of the electronic prescribing service, BHRUT is looking for a 50 percent increase in adoption across the organisation by December 2026. The trust is also hoping to increase virtual outpatient appointments by ten percent (from the current rate of 14 percent) by December 2027.
For its patient held records programme, the trust is focusing on reducing paper use by promoting the use of SMS and NHS App notifications, with deployment set to be completed “in all applicable areas” by December 2026. Hardware is also due for a refresh, with 20 percent of computers to be upgraded per year for the next three years, with the trust looking to take advantage of the ICS procurement strategy to use a subscription model rather than replacing.
Elsewhere, Ruth Crowley, associate non-executive director, voiced concerns around ICB-level cuts and the neighbourhood model, particularly “how the infrastructure would work at trust level, especially regarding digital maturity”. Digital immaturity and the upcoming EPR go-live make the neighbourhood model “feel several steps ahead of their current capabilities”, she added.
Wider trend: EPR and EPR optimisation
For a recent HTN Now panel discussion on EPR best practices, we welcomed experts from across health and care, including Sally Mole, digital programme manager at The Dudley Group NHS FT, Fhezan Ashraf, clinical configuration manager at The Dudley Group NHS FT, Stacey Spence, EPR programme manager at Medway NHS FT and Hayley Grafton, CNIO at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust. The discussion began with wider introductions, where each of our experts gave an overview of their own go-live projects before moving onto post go-live best practices, exploring key learnings and challenges when it comes to engaging the workforce and measuring adoption.
East Cheshire NHS Trust and Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recently introduced the MEDITECH EPR, with the aim to reduce reliance on paper records at both organisations, as well as laying the foundation for future innovation in patient care.
Herefordshire and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust partnered with The Access Group to launch Rio as their EPR system, with the aim to “transform care delivery” across the trust. This has allowed them to “connect multiple systems into one” and take advantage of “enhanced security”, allowing staff to access patient information quickly while also protecting sensitive data.
The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust has highlighted digital achievements in its latest Quality Account for 2024/25, including the launch of its Alex Health electronic health record and the My Alex Health patient portal. The EPR was launched in November 2024, as a single digital record of a patient’s care, including health history, treatment records, medical conditions, and allergies. Its introduction followed testing over the spring and summer months of 2024, with the trust identifying the process for migrating data from old systems, and running a “Stop, Start, Continue” information campaign showing staff how specific daily tasks would change and preparing them for training.
