Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust is set to launch an EPR inequalities flag to help colleagues across the trust identify patients at the greatest risk of experiencing health inequalities.
The flag has been introduced following its successful use in maternity, where CHFT reports it has supported more personalised conversations and care planning.
In July, the trust shared feedback from Claudia de’Vries, its project manager for health inequalities, who said: “The feedback we’ve had from wider maternity colleagues strongly suggests the flag helps identify barriers, increases awareness of vulnerability and strengthens safeguarding.”
Appearing within a patient’s clinical record to highlight those at a greater risk of health inequalities, the flag is intended to prompt staff to “take a moment” to consider whether they might make any reasonable adjustments, or offer additional support or personalised communication to help meet a patient’s individual needs, according to CHFT.
Colleagues are being encouraged to familiarise themselves with the flag prior to its launch on the 21 September.
De’Vries adds: “Since piloting the flag with maternity services, it has encouraged greater professional curiosity. When colleagues see the flag, they are prompted to ask more questions, look deeper into the patient’s record and consider whether they may need additional support. This helps us identify needs that might otherwise be missed and ensures we can provide the right care and support for each patient.”
Wider trend: Health data
Humber and North Yorkshire ICB has announced the expansion of a data dashboard developed in partnership with York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, aiming to support a “more coordinated approach” to improving health and helping people into work. The People Story Dashboard aligns data with the boundaries of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority, and Greater Lincolnshire Combined Authority. It has been made available, according to the ICB, to inform local planning and commissioning decisions for local partners across the region.
The board of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust has updated on the expansion of its Hive EPR across local care organisations, the introduction of a digital and data academy, and the launch of a new secure data analytics platform. The EPR expansion represents a move toward a single, unified patient record for acute and community care, the trust explains, covering more than 150 services across Manchester and Trafford LCO community health services. Phase 0 of the project was completed in June, according to MFT, covering pre-implementation mobilisation activities such as establishing programme governance, recruiting and onboarding the implementation team, and completing programme planning.
The Department of Health and Social Care has commissioned a national programme of engagement for GPs and practice managers, to “genuinely influence” national policy with their views on how patient data is used across the NHS. Views and everyday experiences of GPs and practice managers are sought across three key areas: individual patient care and how health professionals can access or add to the GP patient record; how patient data is used for routine planning at regional and national levels; and how patient data is used for research into new treatments and medications.
