Digital Health’s monthly roundup of contracts and go lives

This contracts and go lives roundup includes six London trusts rolling out a digital tool for mental health care, and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton and Chesterfield Royal Hospital signing a joint contract for a new Nervecentre EPR.

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS FT launches DrDoctor patient portal

Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has partnered with DrDoctor to provide an online portal for outpatients, reducing the need for paper appointment letters.

The patient engagement portal (PEP), which went live on 14 May 2024, allows outpatients at Cheltenham General Hospital, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and Stroud Maternity Hospital to view digital letters about appointments online and receive text reminders.

The five-year contract with DrDoctor began in 2023, with development taking place on the PEP since December 2023 and more functionality planned to be added throughout 2024 and 2025.

In summer 2024, the trust plans to integrate the PEP with the NHS app, so that patients can opt to receive notifications instead of text messages, as well as introducing the functionality for patients to change their appointment times online.

Jersey General Hospital implements electronic prescribing for outpatients

The Government of Jersey’s Health and Community Services (HCS) has implemented a new electronic prescription system at the Jersey General Hospital’s pharmacy, which it aims to reduce waiting times and improve patient safety.

Most prescriptions will now be submitted electronically to the hospital pharmacy via the electronic prescribing and medicines administration (EPMA) system with majority of patients no longer receiving paper prescriptions.

The Government of Jersey said in a statement, published on 3 May 2024, that the change is part of its “ongoing commitment to streamlining processes and improving medication safety and operational efficiency”.

OneLondon announces digital tool for mental health care

Six mental health trusts in London will roll out a digital tool in 2024-2025 to support assessment of people detained under the Mental Health Act (MHA), OneLondon has announced.

The OneLondon eMHA programme, supported with around £5 million NHS England frontline digitisation funding, will replace current paper-based processes with Thalamos eMHA software to join up admission, treatment, hospital and discharge care pathways.

East London NHS Foundation Trust will be the first to start using the solution in summer 2024 with the other London trusts to follow by April 2025.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital rolls out System C PAS

A new patient administration system (PAS) was rolled out at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust last weekend, as the first phase of its deployment of a new EPR from System C.

The roll out of the PAS is the first phase of a major digital transformation programme happening at the trust, which aims to improve care for patients through the use of modern, digital systems.

The PAS has replaced The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital’s previous system that had been in place for 20 years. Its deployment saw over one million patient records be transferred, while more than 5,000 members of staff were trained up on the new system.

UHDB and CRH sign joint contract with Nervecentre for new EPR

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) and Chesterfield Royal Hospital (CRH) have signed a joint contract for a new electronic patient record system (EPR) provided by Nervecentre.

The collaborative approach to procuring an integrated EPR solution across two neighbouring trusts is expected to bring significant benefits to patients and staff.

Nervecentre’s modern interface and ability to work on mobile devices means staff can have easy access to patient records at the bedside, at the click of a button. The system will also support virtual clinics, allowing care to be more accessible for patients across Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

Nervecentre was announced as the preferred supplier in December 2023, with the contract officially being signed following a successful application for national funding from NHSE in March 2024.

The new EPR system is expected to take up to two years to fully implement across both trusts.