Manchester sees end of Emis Web roll-out

Emis Web is set to be rolled out across all Manchester GP practices by the end of the year, the Greater Manchester Commissioning Support Unit has said.

Andrew Rebanks, the senior project manager for Manchester Clinical Commissioning Groups, told EHI that Manchester had been “one of the worst areas” in terms of rolling out Emis Web.

Although the CSU started the roll-out of the system in April 2013, some practices are using a variety of older versions of Emis, such as Emis LV.

Rebanks said the roll-out of Emis Web is part of a wider technology refresh, with practices getting new servers and PC upgrades for Windows 7 and Microsoft Office.

He said Emis Web has now been implemented at 67 of 96 practices in Manchester, with 78 sites having had the hardware and software upgrades.

Rebanks said the roll-out has gone well, with the project team working hard to get practices to fully understand the merits of changing to Emis Web.

“Some of the practices at the start, because of how things were managed previously, didn’t want to engage because they saw it as a risk.”

CSU programme manager Martin Sheridan told EHI the roll-out of Emis Web will help to improve integrated care in Manchester and expand joint services, such as a project to give patients extended access to GP practices via data-sharing. “If everyone is all on the same clinical system then it’s really easier for us.”

Sheridan said Emis Web will also be used in the acute setting, with the Greater Manchester Electronic Clinical Correspondence project set up to allow hospitals to electronically send letters about a patient’s care to their GP in real time using PCTI’s Docman.

Rebanks said the CSU is developing the e-prescribing component of Emis Web as a separate project, with plans to start an engagement plan with GPs and pharmacists once the system is “bedded in” at the GP practices.

Sheridan said the roll-out of Emis Web will also allow Manchester GP practices to introduce the Summary Care Record, with the older systems unable to allow it to be introduced.

“Previously we didn’t have clinical systems able to do that, but every site that’s upgraded will have the SCR two weeks later.”

Manchester should be fully compliant with the SCR requirements by February 2015, he said.