St George’s, Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Group have signed a complimentary contract with Cerner, a supplier of health information technology services, to provide a shared electronic patient record system.
The system has been in use at the St George’s and Queen Mary hospitals since 2013, with the extension now set to be rolled out across the hospital group.
In August 2021, the two trusts formed a working partnership to share their clinical and non-clinical workforce, and to collaborate closely on research, staff development, education and training, while serving a population of 2.5 million people.
The system is said to replace the ‘clinical and administrative systems currently in place’ at Epsom and St Helier and forms ‘the single largest digital modernisation and transformation programme’ the trust has seen in years.
Peter Davies, Group Chief Digital Officer, said: “This is a really positive step that will make a difference to the quality of care we provide, particularly as those using health and care services require ever-more joined up care to meet their needs.
“Anyone who has been transferred between hospitals or referred onto a different service in another organisation will know that, up until now, you have to go over your medical history a number of times.
“This will be happening a lot less frequently, which is great news for our patients and we’re proud to be making such a significant investment into a vital part of the service we provide. The new shared domain will make it easier for patients to be treated and for clinicians to work collaboratively across South West London, Surrey and beyond.”
Jacqueline Totterdell, Group Chief Executive, said: “We are committed to providing outstanding care so advancing our digital capabilities in this way, for the benefit of our patients, is a significant step towards achieving this. One of the greatest benefits of being a hospital group is that it offers the opportunity to share resources and collaboratively redesign pathways to deliver the highest possible quality of care to the populations we serve in a way that is efficient and effective for both staff and patients.”
