Bristol NHS Foundation Trust has launched a shared digital patient record for cardiology services, granting clinicians access to key cardiology information around procedures, treatment, and patient history with the aim of supporting clinical decision making and improving continuity of care.
The Centricity Cardio Workflow (CCW) system connects teams across Southmead Hospital, the Bristol Heart Institute, and Weston General Hospital, providing a real-time view of cardiac history and treatment information. During its first week, the trust shares that it was used to support 33 patients and 12 procedure lists.
Wider teams can also use the system to access information, potentially offering benefits for care coordination. “The change is particularly significant because many patients receiving heart care are treated at more than one hospital,” the trust states. “Previously, clinical teams often needed to request records, make phone calls between sites or wait for information to be transferred to help make decisions about care. Information is now available through one shared system, helping to improve continuity of care and reduce delays.”
The go-live of the new CCW system represents the culmination of over a year of partnership working between clinical, operational, and digital teams. According to Richard Baker, consultant cardiologist, it is already saving “valuable time” and assisting teams in planning the best care with patients. “Staff in our outpatient clinics and labs where cardiac procedures are carried out have easy access to the information they need, and care plans made after a device is fitted can be quickly viewed by inpatient ward teams, helping to support ongoing care and coordination between services,” he added.
Earlier this year, the then Bristol NHS Group set out its ambitions to deliver joined-up clinical services, reframe how services are delivered, and reimagine the future of care. “We continue to develop our group clinical services, bringing duplicated services together under a single leadership team, with shared planning and aligned patient pathways,” the group stated. “Lessons learned from our first group clinical services mean we can accelerate the programme and make significant progress by March 2027.”
Wider trend: Digital records
Interweave has announced a partnership with the Dorset Care Record and has continued its expansion of the Yorkshire and Humber Care Record. The Interweave Partnership, recently shortlisted as a finalist in the Partnership of the Year category for the HTN Awards 2026, reportedly now supports seven NHS regions and more than ten million people. Ian Clucas, deputy CIO at Interweave, noted being “thrilled” to welcome the region to the partnership, adding: “It has been a positive experience working with our colleagues in Dorset over the past months, who share our vision of providing digitally enhanced and inclusive care.”
The National Data Guardian (NDG) Nicola Byrne is seeking views from health and care professionals on the single patient record, with findings to be incorporated into a report published to the NDG website in Autumn 2026. In particular, the survey is looking to explore what is required for the system to “earn the trust and support of health and care professionals from day one”. Respondents are asked about the records or information systems they access as part of their work, how often they experience challenges in accessing information when they need it, and the impact they think a national single patient record would have on their work across areas like coordination of care.
The government of the Isle of Man has announced the launch of a procurement for a single patient record to support services across hospitals, GPs, community, mental health, and social care. The solution will be known as the Manx Care Record, it states, forming a “central component” of the island’s long-term health strategy, with hopes that it can help to improve patient safety and clinical productivity, as well as offering patients the opportunity to access their own health information. A full business case is expected in early 2027, according to the government, with plans for a phased rollout to begin in early 2028.
