EPR link has gone live in UK first

A project which links the electronic patient record (EPR) systems at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) has gone live in a UK first.

Both recognised as Global Digital Exemplars by NHS England, the two trusts are now able to easily and securely access clinical information on a patient that is held within the other trust’s EPR system. This is the first link in the UK between hospitals’ electronic health record systems, provided by two different suppliers - Epic at CUH and Cerner Millennium at West Suffolk Hospital.

Clinicians in the accident and emergency departments can access real-time, digital information if a patient has been treated at the opposite hospital within a 12-month period. This is fairly common given the hospitals’ proximity.

Dermot O’Riordan, chief clinical information officer at West Suffolk Hospital, said: “Many of our patients’ healthcare is shared between both of our hospitals, in areas such as cancer care, vascular surgery and emergency care. This innovation is a natural extension of our partnership, and is already making noticeable improvements and efficiencies to the care we provide our patients.

“I am also very proud of our teams for creating this innovative and exciting link, and would like to thank them for their continued hard work. This national first shows the benefits that our e-Care program, using Cerner Millennium, has enabled. I look forward to delivering further enhancements to patient care as part of our Global Digital Exemplar program; the potential is huge.”

Afzal Chaudhry, chief clinical information officer at Cambridge University Hospitals, added: “This UK first in connecting two hospital EPR systems is an exciting development for both trusts and will bring huge benefits to the many patients who attend both hospitals. Having access to key clinical information held within the systems in real-time will help clinicians to provide safer, more effective and quicker care which can improve patient outcomes. This is another key milestone in our digital development as a Global Digital Exemplar trust, delivered through our eHospital programme, with many more developments in the pipeline as we further extend the capabilities of our Epic system and integrated digital technology.”