Industry round-up

Digital Health News' regular catch-up on healthcare IT go-lives, new wins and company news includes a big 'back office' win for Advanced in Northern Ireland, and the launch of another challenge prize for digital innovations.

Roll-outs and contract awards

Royal Brompton and Harefield transforms IT

The Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust is completing the transformation of its IT network with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise technology by upgrading its entire network edge. The completed network will support clinical-quality data, video and voice applications for healthcare providers and provide the platform to develop advanced application services such as electronic prescriptions and patient record management. 

Royal Berkshire selects Insignia for PACS 

Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust has selected Insignia to provide an integrated PACS and reporting solution. The system will go-live across Reading Hospital and its local sites in November 2015. Migration, using the Insignia Migration Service, of the 40TB of historical data from the existing PACS will begin immediately.

Cambridge University Hospitals Trust invests in RFID for theatre inventory management

Addenbrooke’s Hospital is using RFID technology from Harland Simon for inventory control and the efficient provision of supplies to its theatres. Integrated with the GHX Powergate Inventory Management database, the RFID Discovery system allows Addenbrooke’s to centralise its theatre supply chain operation to streamline the process of inventory management through a 'picking and kitting' solution.

NI implements Advanced systems

Advanced is delivering a country-wide finance, procurement and logistics solution within the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety in Northern Ireland. Roll-out is complete across Health and Social Care NI. The programme aims to transform the delivery of critical business functions in Health and Social Care and is expected to save around £43 million over a ten year period. Advanced’s contract with the Department is worth £17 million over the contract period

NHS 111 service in the West Midlands switches provider

The NHS111 service in the West Midlands has will be run by West Midlands Doctors Urgent Care for a year, starting this month. Dr Jonathan Leach, clinical governance lead for the 111 service, said a formal procurement process will be launched this Autumn to find a provider to deliver the service for five years after that.

Rollout of automated telephone appointment booking in St Helens and Knowsley  

St Helens and Knowsley Health Informatics delivered the Patient Partner automated telephone booking service for GPs across the Merseyside region, starting with the first practice in 2010. Nearly 70,000 appointments made using the system in 2014. Developed by Voice Connect, Patient Partner enables callers to telephone and make, review, cancel or amend an appointment 24/7. 

Regional Hearing Specialists of Saltash goes paperless with Tiara9

Regional Hearing Specialists of Saltash has implemented Ethitec’s Tiara9 integrated appointment booking system and electronic patient record at its branches across the UK, enabling it to move towards a fully paperless service and receive electronic referrals directly from GPs and referral centres. Around a third of its local GP practices are now booking appointments directly onto the system, using the newly launched NHS e-Referral System. 

Norway Launches Regional Cancer Care

The South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority has signed a deal to roll out JAC’s Chemotherapy Management System across its 17 health Trusts, satellite clinics and seven chemotherapy production pharmacies in order to help improve the quality of cancer care and patient safety across the region.

Competitions

Innovate UK launches competition 

The IC tomorrow programme has launched a £175,000 innovation contest that is searching for the best digital innovations in nutrition, health data and mental health. Five winners will receive up to £35,000 in funding and partner with industry leaders to undergo a pre-commercial trial. Partners include Bupa, Saga, AXA PPP healthcare and Toshiba. The winning entrepreneurs will keep 100 per cent of their IP and will receive mentorship and promotion to help bring their solutions to market.