King’s College Hospital secures funding for 2023 roll-out of Epic EHR

King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed its Epic electronic health record (EHR) will go live in 2023 after funding was secured.

The new system, which is due to be rolled out in October 2023, has been designed to improve care for patients, and reduce the administrative burden on staff. It will also reduce the number of different IT systems in place at the trust, making it easier and quicker for staff to access a single source of information about each patient.

Teams from King’s College Hospital will be able to work more closely with colleagues at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, which is also introducing the Epic software in April 2023 as part of the same deployment programme.

There had been concerns about the roll out at King’s College after a report presented to the trust’s board in April 2021 revealed it had not yet secured funding for the project.

Beverley Bryant, chief digital information officer at King’s College Hospital and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trusts, said: “I am thrilled that our ambition to implement Epic across King’s and Guy’s and St Thomas’, including Royal Brompton and Harefield hospitals, will now become a reality.

“This is a once in a generation opportunity to redesign our clinical workflows, and provide a vastly improved experience for our staff and patients. This programme will signify a major transformational change, and underpin our ambitions for high quality care for the patients that we serve.”

King’s will also work with Epic to deploy a patient portal, which will enable patients to access their medical records, as well as book appointments and more actively engage in their health in partnership with the clinicians managing their care.

Clinical, operational and information technology teams from across King’s College Hospital will put together a plan for the October 2023 roll-out which will involve engagement from staff and patients.

Professor Clive Kay, chief executive of King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, added: “This is a really positive step forward for King’s, our staff and patients, plus the communities we serve.

“Technology has the power to transform the way we provide care – and by harnessing it to its full potential, we will improve care for patients, and support our staff to deliver the high-quality care they aspire to.”