Fast Follower Wye Valley NHS Trust goes live with ePMA system

Wye Valley NHS Trust has gone live with a new electronic prescribing and medicines administration (ePMA) system which will improve patient safety for prescribing across its four sites.

The project was led by Bristol based Epro in partnership with Better with the pair delivering a best of breed approach for Wye Valley, which is one of the Global Digital Exemplar Fast Followers.

The OPENeP software was developed by Better together with a range of Epro’s own functionalities including a clinical portal and allergies module.

Stefan Siekierski, project manager at the trust, said: “From signing contracts in January to our pilot in October, the teams at Epro, Better and Wye Valley have worked in close partnership to deliver a high quality system, improving the quality and safety of our patients and staff.

“We have changed our working model in response to Covid-19 and adapted to an ever changing situation. Keeping to our timescales to date has been a result of collaborative working and the incredible support of trust staff.”

Forming part of Wye Valley’s digital transformation project, the trust follows in the steps of Global Digital Exemplar, Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, another Epro and Better client.

Wye Valley benefited from also using Somerset’s blueprint for the project.

Dr. Francesca Leithold, chief operating officer at Epro, said: “Patient safety is a core value here at Epro, and our collaboration with Better and Wye Valley will now support clinicians as they support patients.

“After identifying additional opportunities to support the staff at Wye Valley, we also included our admissions checklist solutions into our integration, whilst keeping to our originally agreed timelines. We look forward to visiting our partners and continuing to support Wye Valley as they prioritise patient safety.”

Christine Wadsworth, UK clinical lead at Better, added: “I was fortunate to be able to attend the first ward to use ePMA at Wye Valley on the go live date.

“The ward staff were very well prepared and keen to move from the paper drug charts to electronic prescribing and administration because they recognise the benefits to the patients, to themselves and to the Trust.

“The ePMA team at Wye Valley along with the teams from Epro and Better have done an incredible job at reaching this point of the project so quickly during very difficult times. I look forward to visiting again when I am able to do so as the Trust rolls out the solution to the other wards.”