The Countess of Chester Hospital is moving away from paper-based notes by updating its electronic patient record (EPR) system as part of its commitment to providing safe, kind and effective care in the digital era.
The Countess has agreed a 15-year deal with healthcare IT providers Cerner for the new EPR system, having been named as a Global Digital Exemplar (GDE) ‘Fast Follower’ of Wirral University Teaching Hospital, who have been using Cerner since 2010.
Observations, notes and records will now be input and stored digitally, enabling doctors and nurses to have immediate access to up-to-date information when treating patients across the hospital.
“It is our duty to provide safe, kind and effective care for the people of West Cheshire and shifting our processes from analogue to digital is a huge part of that,” Chief Executive Tony Chambers said. “Every day the NHS operates at the forefront of science clinically, but so much of the technology being used to support that is outdated. We are delighted to start working with Cerner and continue collaborating with our colleagues at Wirral as we drive clinical excellence for patients today, and for future generations. This represents another huge step towards our goal of becoming The Model Hospital.”
Cerner replaces an existing patient record system that has been used at the Countess since 1999 and is the latest example of the Trust embracing new technology to improve care for patients and staff.
David Jago, Acting Chief Executive at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, said: “We are delighted that our status as one of the most digitally advanced Trusts in the country and a Global Digital Exemplar has led to this partnership with the Countess of Chester Hospital and Cerner.
“Both Trusts already work closely together to provide joined up, seamless care to our patients in Wirral and West Cheshire and this joint working will provide more opportunities for collaboration between our highly skilled clinical teams in the delivery of better, safer and smarter care.”
Geoff Segal, managing director for Cerner UK, agreed, saying: “The GDE programme is enabling forward-thinking NHS organisations to provide world-class care for patients today and tomorrow. Being chosen as part of the Countess of Chester’s journey to excellence, alongside Wirral, speaks volumes of our commitment to value-driven partnerships, facilitating sharing and a shared determination to enable safer care, better outcomes and healthier communities.”
