An ambitious programme to transform care for patients and staff across Devon’s acute hospitals and community sites is a step closer following the awarding of a new contract for an electronic patient record (EPR).
University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP) and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust (TSDFT) have now formally signed a contract for an EPR with Epic, following national approval of both trusts’ full business cases in December.
The signing of the contracts signifies a major step forward in the shared vision to implement a single EPR across Devon, and by investing in a system from the same supplier, the three acute NHS trusts in Devon will be making the most of digital advances.
Epic uses cutting edge technology to create an EPR where staff can access patients’ health and care information quickly and securely. For patients, this will mean they don’t have to remember their medical history or repeat the same information to different members of staff, making their care journey more joined-up.
Royal Devon patients have already been experiencing the benefits of the Epic EPR. Having a single digital record for each patient improves the visibility of information between medical teams, which helps to improve safety and quality of care. This same digital record also offers patients better access to information about their own care through MY CARE, a digital platform for patients, which was introduced for East Devon in 2020 and for North Devon in 2022.
Also in this issue
- Major Trauma Ward opens
- New Emergency Care Building gets green light
- Urology Unit celebrates one year of providing great care to patients
- Blood testing service moves to Windsor House
- UHP is working to support local employment opportunities for Plymouth’s Armed Forces community
- Dr Ian Higginson is appointed as President of Royal College of Emergency Medicine