NPfIT transitions ‘high risk’

 Four NHS hospital trusts that need to replace their nationally procured electronic patient record systems by the end of the month are deemed "high risk" by the board overseeing the programme.

A BT Local Service Provider Programme Board update paper from 7 October seen by Digital Health News gives a 'red' risk rating to two acute and two community mental health trusts, which are yet to exit their National Programme for IT contracts.

Seventeen acute trusts that had Cerner Millennium delivered by BT under NPfIT need to exit the BT data centre and enter individual contracts with EPR suppliers by 31 October.

Fifteen have already switched, with Bart’s Health NHS Trust the most recent to move out of the data centre last weekend.

The board report gives a ‘red’ rating to the two remaining trusts that need to make the move, describing them as "high risk".

Digital Health News reported last week that data migration problems had forced North Bristol NHS Trust to delay the go-live of its Lorenzo EPR.

North Bristol was originally due to go-live in July, but this was delayed to 18 October. The programme board reports says this is a “challenging timeframe in which to deploy replacement systems”.

Digital Health News understands the trust is still working towards exiting before the deadline, but that it could be delayed until late November.

Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust was the first to go-live with Cerner Millennium as part of the National Programme for IT in August 2007. It was taken over by Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust last July.

The Royal Free was the first Millennium trust to exit its NPfIT contract in June last year, but Barnet and Chase is yet to make the move.

It was originally due to go-live in April this year, but this has been delayed to 1 November and also has a ‘red’ risk rating. However, the trust says it is on track to meet the deadline.

All London Programme for IT trusts chose to stick with their Cerner systems. However, in the South of England four have decided to switch.

Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust transitioned to System C earlier this month and Taunton and Somerset NHS Foundation Trust also switched in September to IMS Maxims.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has been live with a patient administration system from CSC for some time.

There are 39 community and mental health trusts exiting NPfIT contracts in London and the South and all are on track to transfer prior to the October deadline, however two are rated as 'red' for risk.

The trusts all received the RiO EPR, owned by Servelec. Eighteen have chosen to switch systems with six each moving to Emis Web, TPP SystmOne and Advanced Carenotes.  The rest are moving to individual contracts with Servelec.

A summary of progress dated 7 October says that four trusts are planning on going live with new systems in the last week of the contract, of which two are rated ‘red’.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust is moving community services to Advanced, but is having problems with the pace of “issue resolution”.

Also, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, which is switching to TPP and has been having data migration issues.