Health IT news in brief

This week’s health IT news in brief covers funding for projects in Wales, the implementation of new technology at trusts in London and Cornwall, and growth for a rota software company co-founded by a former A&E doctor.

Welsh health and social care IT projects benefit from £7.3 billion funding

The Welsh health secretary has announced that 11 health and social care projects will benefit from the £7.3 billion made available through the latest round of the Efficiency Through Technology Fund.

“We received 142 applications – the biggest response to this funding stream so far – and I want to congratulate those who have been successful amid fierce competition,” Vaughan Gething said.

Organisations to benefit from the funding include Public Health Wales, which secured £2.5 million for a molecular diagnostics project, NHS Wales Informatics Service which will receive £1.18 million for the development of electronic forms, and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board which is developing a system to better support those who frequently attend A&E or dial 999.

EuroKing solution to be deployed at Royal Cornwall Hospital

Royal Cornwall Hospital is to implement EuroKing’s maternity information system across its hospital and community teams.

The company’s E3 software will replace the hospital’s legacy solution, with a view to increasing patient safety as well as staff efficiency. It will make it possible for midwives to access and update one central electronic record from wherever they are working.

David Smith – associate director of the women, children’s and sexual health division at Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust – said the implementation will help the organisation “move towards a paperless service and meeting the 2020 paperless agenda”.

The project began at the end of February, with a planned go live in early summer.

Patient flow software to be implemented at UCLH

A major London teaching hospital trust is implementing a technology solution to better manage the admission, discharge and transfer of patients.

Staff at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) will use software from TeleTracking Technologies. The company’s Command Centre and IT Operations Platform will provide real-time visibility of patients around the hospital, highlighting those ready to be moved from an acute care setting. It will also track the location of equipment.

Lorraine Walton, operations manager at University College Hospital said: “This means we can reduce delays in patient care and prevent cancellations of procedures at short notice. Also, by being able to track equipment, we will help ward staff to find what they need to care for patients without delay.”

The appointment of TeleTracking forms part of UCLH’s digital strategy, which has also seen Atos selected as foundational IT partner and Epic as the preferred supplied for the trust’s electronic health record system.

RotaGeek announces 530% end-user growth in Q1 2017

A software company co-founded by a former A&E doctor has announced record growth.

RotaGeek provides online employee scheduling software, and recorded four fold growth in 2016 and 530% end user growth in the first quarter of 2017.

Its chief executive Chris McCullough spent eight years working in A&E before founding the company as a way to make rota creation simpler.

In healthcare, its algorithms help users match staffing to demand. Its use has since expanded, however, to include clients in the hospitality and retail sectors.

Dr Daniel Rose joins Radiology Reporting Online team

Teleradiology provider Radiology Reporting Online (RRO) has appointed a new medical director.

Daniel Rose, a consultant radiologist at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Trust, succeeds Martin Rimmer who will now be based in the organisation’s Australian office.

RRO, which is part owned by University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, uses technology to provide remote radiology reporting both in the UK and internationally.