Wirral University Teaching Hospital to feature in NHS 70 programme

The impact of having an electronic patient record (EPR) at Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust will be featured on an ITN programme celebrating 70 years of the NHS.

The trust, which is one of the 16 acute Global Digital Exemplars (GDE), forms part of Healthy Wirral, which is made up of local NHS organisations and Wirral Council and aims to support patients to take more responsibility for looking after their own health.

The programme, which has been put together by ITN productions and NHS England, highlights how the partnership is using the digital Wirral Care Record, to overcome the health and social care challenges being faced.

Jacqui Cooper, chief nursing information officer (CNIO) at Wirral University Teaching Hospital, said: “The difference the digital record has made is it’s accessible to all. Everyone can see it instantly, the data is input immediately, you can look at it remotely and our wider community can look at it: GPs, our health visitors can all see the record.

“It means better care at the point of care.”

Having an integrated care record system means patients only need to tell their story once, making for a much simpler journey through the healthcare system.

It also means data gathered by doctors and nurses can be used to pinpoint health trends across the area making care more preventative.

The Cerner Millennium EPR system used at the trust has proved very popular with frontline staff, who have been involved in its development.

Gerry O’Sullivan, the trust’s CCIO, said video consultations, apps and patient portals were all ambitions of the future.

He said: “Where we are at the moment now, we have almost free-flow of information between primary, secondary and other areas where healthcare is delivered.

“The one missing part in the whole equation is the patient. The patient in the future has got to be deeply involved in their own healthcare.”