Rotherham plan to ‘deconstruct’ Meditech

The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust is planning to deconstruct its troubled Meditech EPR implementation.

The trust looks likely to ‘re-work’ its Meditech V6.0 system and to implement TPP’s SystmOne in A&E. The move comes despite having spent more than £21m on its Meditech EPR.

The foundation trust has faced a series of issues with the EPR since deploying the system in June last year, contributing to a financial crisis and intervention by regulator Monitor in February.

On the recommendation of Monitor the trust then appointed an independent EPR expert, Larry Blevins, who undertook a diagnostic review of the Meditech system.

According to the trust’s April board minutes Blevins gave the trust three options for the future of the Meditech EPR project.

To remove the system completely and replace with another; to deconstruct Meditech to a PAS and install SystmOne in A&E; or to ‘fix’ Meditech, but still install SystmOne in A&E.

A spokesperson from the trust, told EHI that the trust had decided to "re-work" the system.

It would wait until the re-work programme had been established prior to installing an agreed system within the A&E department.

The spokesperson added: “Larry provided three options for the trust’s clinicians and board to consider.

"The outcome of this is that we are adopting the option that will ensure the current elements of the Meditech EPR system are re-worked, based on clinical priorities, to ensure that the system is properly capable to provide the information needed to take advantage of the many EPR functionalities.

“Once the level of progress in system stabilisation and rework is suitable, we will then move forward with additional clinical system evaluation and installation as appropriate,” the spokesperson said.

The Rotherham had planned to spend more than £40m on the implementation, but stopped all further go-lives of the system late last year. To date the trust has spent £21.5m on the Meditech system.

The trust’s April board minutes say that a group of clinicians was presented with options for the EPR and voted to fix the system.

However, the non-executive director indicated that because the attendance was low compared with the overall number of medical staff, the vote was not proportional and she would prefer full consensus from the staff.

The board was told that regardless of what option it picked, there would be a requirement for a number of actions to be put in place such as governance arrangements.

“Meditech will provide an on-site team, supported by a trust team, in an effort to help the Rotherham rework the system,” said the trust spokesperson.

“The whole programme of work in developing and improving our Meditech EPR system will be clinically led and supported by the clinical user groups, with input from administrative and managerial staff.”

The diagnostic review of EPR was completed by 30 April, and an EPR plan is due to be submitted to Monitor by the end of May.

Blevins is being paid £25,000 a month to undertake a review of the system and related issues. The trust has also hired three further consultants.

Michael Morgan has replaced Matthew Lowry as interim chief executive after former chief executive, Brian James, retired last year.

He was hired along with fellow external consultants Tim Bolot and Joshua Ejdelbaum. The trust is paying £77,000 per month for the three men.