Torbay halts integrated record project

Torbay and Southern Devon Health and Care NHS Trust has paused its "pioneering" shared community record project while it reassesses the future needs of the system.

The trust signed a £3.8m, five-year contract to develop an integrated community record with New Zealand company Simpl in late 2011.

The system was going to provide trust staff with office-based and remote offline access, allowing them to view, update and monitor client records from anywhere at any time.

It would be built using Microsoft Dynamics CRM and would eventually replace the trust’s existing care record system, Paris.

However, Simpl’s UK operation went into administration in September 2012 and its current book value is £-400,000.

Simpl’s public sector CRM partner, Optevia, has continued work with the trust to develop the integrated record system.

However, a spokesperson for Torbay said the trust decided earlier this month to pause the project.

This would allow it to, “evaluate the work that has been done so far and reassess the future needs for the system, taking into account the increasing needs of our services users, the evolving demands of our staff and the changing profile of our organisation,” a statement said.

“We will now use this opportunity to revisit the requirements of the system to make certain it is as functional, secure and sustainable as possible for the future.”

During this developmental period the trust will continue to use Paris.

“This is a pioneering and innovative project and we have been the first trust to look at designing a system such as this,” the statement added.

“We know that our frontline staff spend a significant proportion of their time accessing systems to plan and document care, and the quality and accessibility of these systems has a direct impact upon the care we can provide to people.

“Whilst work in this area has continued to progress, it has always been our highest priority to ensure the quality and resilience of this vital piece of technology.

Torbay’s chief operating officer Mandy Seymour told EHI in November 2011 that the system was estimated to achieve efficiency savings of 10-20%.

Simpl UK EMEA regional director Paul Malcolm said at the time that the company hoped the Torbay deal would act as a springboard to getting more contracts in Britain.