On Wednesday 23 July we celebrated a big milestone for the One Devon EPR programme, the start of the 12-month countdown to go-live for the Epic electronic patient record (EPR) here at University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust.
The implementation of the EPR is the largest digital transformation ever undertaken within the Devon healthcare system and we are working with our partners at Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust to develop a Devon-wide EPR using Epic software.
A shared Devon wide EPR will improve patient care by replacing paper-based notes and records with a single patient record. It will also allow us to see a patient’s record wherever they present with a health or care need across Devon. Epic is a leading EPR system, already used by many other NHS trusts. This means that clinicians will be working with a much fuller picture of the patient leading to more informed decisions without having to rely on the patient giving their own history repeatedly.
The Epic EPR includes a patient portal, which is a digital service that makes it easy for patients to access their healthcare information. Accessible on a computer, phone or tablet, the patient portal brings information about appointments, test results and other medical details together in one convenient place.
Patients cared for and staff at the Royal Devon have been experiencing the benefits of the Epic EPR since its introduction in Exeter and the surrounding areas in 2020 and subsequent roll-out across Northern Devon in 2022. TSDFT and UHP announced Epic as their preferred EPR supplier in January 2024 and March 2024 respectively.
The UHP go-live date will come three months after TSD’s go-live over the Easter weekend on 3 April 2026. The April go-live will also provide new applications to colleagues at the Royal Devon, which will bring increased functionality to the foundation system and provide additional benefits to both staff and patients.
You can find out more about the EPR on our website Electronic Patient Record (EPR) | University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust
Also in this issue: