George Eliot deploys Lorenzo

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust has gone live with its Lorenzo electronic patient record system from CSC.

A spokesperson from the trust told EHI the trust went live with the system at 9am yesterday morning, making it the fourth to deploy the system so far this year.

Lorenzo is now live “in the A&E, day procedures unit, maternity, wards, health records, outpatients (attend and outcome only) and medical secretaries departments,” said the spokesperson.

George Eliot announced it would take the EPR under the revised agreement between CSC and the Department of Health in March 2013, and became the fifth trust to do so.

CSC was originally due to deliver the system to trusts in the North, Midlands and East of England as part of the National Programme for IT, but as delays in deploying the system, let to a renegotiation of the contract.

The revised deal with the DH removed the company’s exclusive right to supply systems to the region, but offered trusts that still want to take Lorenzo central funding for deployment and service costs.

George Eliot had its business case to deploy the system approved by the CSC LSP Programme Board in December last year.

EHI understands that the trust re-organised its wards last week, however, the trust spokesperson said there had been no issues with the system so far.

“At this early stage there have been no real problems to speak of and we hope this carries on,” said the trust spokesperson.

“We are now offering 24 hour IT and technical support for all our staff as well as Lorenzo trained floor walkers for on the spot help and advice.”

The trust previously used the iPM patient administration system, also from CSC which it received under the National Programme for IT in 2007.

Last year George Eliot was put into special measures due to “major failings” and high mortality rates. The NHS Trust Development Authority then went out to procurement to find a strategic partner to run the trust.

However, earlier this year, the authority announced it would cancel the process as the trust has made significant progress in improving clinical services.

George Eliot follows behind Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and Derby Hospitals NHS Foundation trust which went live in March, and Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust which went live in February.

EHI reported last month that Walsall has had some teething problems with data quality, getting staff used to the system, and struggling to ‘complete a day’s work in a day’, using the EPR.

The trust has initiated eight separate projects to try and solve the issues around the system. Similar issues have been reported at Derby, where staff is struggling with reporting and data migration.

However, Ipswich Hospital is using the deployment as a “catalyst for improving operational processes” and changing the way staff work.

Commenting on the go-live at George Eliot, a CSC spokesperson said: "George Eliot NHS Trust went live with Lorenzo on 9 June 2014, making it the fourth trust to implement the system so far this year. CSC worked jointly with the Trust’s team on the planning and implementation of the George Eliot’s change programme, and we will continue to work together to ensure a smooth transition as staff begin to use the system. "

EHI understands the next trusts to go live with the system is Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust this summer, followed by Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust in September 2014.