Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board pens deal with Civica

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has stuck a deal with Civica to support the board’s patient record transition programme.

The five-year contract will see the use of Civica’s Cito software used to deliver a single and cohesive view of patient records across the board’s sites.

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) is the largest health organisation in Wales with a budget of about £1.4bn. The board employs more than 17,000 staff who perform more than 1.8 million patient activities per year.

Each transaction with a patient requires access to a patient’s record to support clinical decision making and ensure better patient outcomes. The Cito software will underpin the board’s patient record transition programme to deliver the digital health record (DHR) project.

The DHR will use electronic forms to gather information directly from clinicians, patients and health care professionals, alongside drawing information from other key local and national systems together with scanned information to significantly reduce the reliance on paper.

The aim of this approach is to create a single digital patient case note that can be shared safely and easily with other health care professionals in Wales and beyond.

This will help BCUHB improve patient flow, enhance patient safety and confidentiality, and reduce costs. The DHR also supports the board’s aim to reduce storage costs and become paper-light by 2023.

Jo Whitehead, chief executive officer at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: “We’re committed to continued patient-centric care by ensuring the right patient information is available to clinicians at the point of delivery of care.

“It’s important that patients and their carers can actively participate in their care, with the confidence that their information is safe.

“We selected Civica’s Cito as the best option to provide fast and accurate availability of all patient records. This will support our clinical decision making and ultimately ensure better outcomes for patients.”

During the pandemic many outpatient clinics in the region began delivering remote consultations by video or phone. The DHR will continue to support these virtual clinics.

BCUHB is the second Welsh health board to select Cito, following Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board which signed a deal with Civica in 2019 to support its digital hospital agenda. Civica now works with three of Wales’ largest health boards.

Steve Brain, executive director of health and care at Civica, added: “Delivering a paperless NHS at the point of care is critical to improve safety and efficiencies, putting the right tools into clinicians’ hands to make their jobs easier and safer.

“We’re excited to support the Board’s digital innovation journey.”