East of England Ambulance Service turns to O2 to improve digital offering

The East of England Ambulance Service has teamed up with O2 to provide access to technologies that support the roll-out of a new electronic patient record system.

The £5.9 million contract, part funded by NHSX, aims to deliver a suite of new technologies to improve the way digital clinical records are captured for paramedics and frontline staff.

The telecoms company provided 4,000 iPads to frontline staff, as well as an end-to-end support service to help staff get connected and online.

By using iPads, the need for paper records is eliminated, instead staff will be able to transfer patients and switch over crews by using a secure virtual interface.

It also means patients will only have to explain their symptoms once.

Stephen Bromhall, chief information officer at the East of England Ambulance Service, said: “This new system will provide staff with easy-to-use, secure ways to seamlessly transfer patient notes virtually, which will help our dedicated crews get back on the road faster so they can continue to focus on delivering the best possible patient care.”

The partnership could see efficiencies that equate to 1,700 days of ambulance crew time saved over the course of a year, and the elimination of paper waste will also see significant environmental benefits, O2 said in a statement.

Jo Bertram, managing director for business at O2, added: “This year more than any other has highlighted the incredible work of NHS workers, who have got us through this pandemic.

“Ambulance staff work tirelessly in a fast-paced, high-pressured environment to bring exceptional first response care to patients. By implementing these new technologies, we hope to eliminate any inefficiencies and create seamless systems to help them focus on doing what they do best.”