UCLH will now work with Epic to design, build and implement the new EHRS as part of its wider clinical transformation, research and interoperability programme. UCLH have also agreed to work closely with other NHS organisations on various aspects of Epic implementation.
Professor Marcel Levi, UCLH chief executive, said: “This is a much needed investment for UCLH. After a detailed and extensive procurement process, we have now agreed the best way forward to continuously improve patient safety, improve interdisciplinary quality of care and make communication between patients and their health care providers easier. We will work with clinicians, operational staff and patients to ensure we create a system that works for everyone.
“Another important feature will be that the system will facilitate exchange of information between different healthcare providers, such as general practitioners and other hospitals.”
The EHRS platform will give UCLH a single, integrated electronic clinical record to support the delivery of patient care and research. Doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals will have access to all relevant patient information in one place. This will help to further improve patient safety, research, patient engagement, integrated care with external healthcare partners and staff experience.
EHRS will also provide an advanced patient portal, which will be of major benefit to patients and their families. Patients will be able to access their own data safely and securely, to help manage and improve their conditions and communicate with their care team.
Gill Gaskin, medical director Specialist Hospitals Board, UCLH, said: “The key to success will be the close involvement of patients, clinicians and researchers so that everyone benefits quickly when we go live in 2019.”
The detailed EHRS design, implementation and training programme will be clinically led. It is the final major piece of UCLH’s digital transformation strategy, which has also seen Atos appointed as foundational ICT partner and TeleTracking Technologies as patient flow and equipment tracking partner for the new Coordination Centre Programme.
EHRS is a major step forward in UCLH becoming fully interoperable with our NHS partners, supporting data sharing for the North Central London Sustainability and Transformation Plan (NCL STP) and more widely. UCLH will collaborate closely with NHS Digital, NHS Improvement and NHS England throughout its implementation of Epic.
