Norfolk plans 2015 Lorenzo go-live

Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust has had its business case to take the Lorenzo electronic patient record system approved by the CSC LSP Programme Board.

EHI reported in April that the trust had announced its intention to take the electronic patient record system from CSC under the interim agreement between the company and Department of Health, which gives trusts central funding for software and deployment costs.

The trust, which uses CSC’s iPM patient administration system, received as an ‘interim’ system as part of the National Programme for IT,  along with three other systems, told EHI in a statement that it plans a phased spring 2015 go-live of Lorenzo.

“In future, the single clinical system will bring together all the various pieces of information held about a patient, putting it directly at clinicians’ fingertips, ensuring they are better informed and more able to respond effectively to patients’ needs,” said the trust.

“The first phase will replace existing patient administration and clinical systems (Maricis/iPM/ePEX/Mental Health Carenotes) and deploy the following units – care management, mental health CM, clinical documentation, static care plans, advanced bed management and day care. Phase 1 is due to go-live in spring 2015.

“The second phase will provide additional functionality and benefits including units – requests and results and outpatient prescribing, and is due to be completed in spring 2016.”

The trust, which will be the first mental health trust to take the system under the revised deal, began the scoping work for moving to a single system and a full EPR last year, and has been “exploring” the Lorenzo as a possible strategic fit since then.

“Moving to a single clinical system represents a hugely positive and significant change in practice for the trust, particularly for clinicians in Norfolk and Waveney, where the trust has yet to implement a complete electronic patient record,” said the trust in a statement.

Lorenzo was intended to be rolled out across the North, Midlands and East as part of the National Programme for IT, but suffered from a series of development and deployment delays.

The government and CSC eventually signed an interim deal that removed the company’s exclusive rights to provide IT systems to the NME, in return for compensation from the DH, and an agreement from CSC not to pursue legal action. That deal was finalised in October last.

Several trusts have gone live with Lorenzo last four months. Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust and Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust deployed Lorenzo in February this year, followed closely by Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust.

EHI reported last week that Walsall is having some issues with staff not being able to complete “a day’s work in a day” on Lorenzo, due to operational processes.

The trust has hired 25 temporary workers to help out with data entry until the staff gets used to working with the system.