Concerns over go-live date for Northampton maternity service EPR

The lack of a go live date for a maternity electronic patient record (EPR) system at Northampton General Hospital poses “potential operational risks”, according to a board report. 

University Hospitals of Northamptonshire NHS Group (UHN), procured the BadgerNet maternity digital system in March 2024. 

However minutes of a board paper, published by UHN on 2 August 2024, includes an update from the group’s Clinical Safety and Quality Committee, raising concerns that “there is no implementation date” for the maternity system. 

“There are potential operational risk implications associated with this,” the board paper adds.

The BadgerNet maternity system, provided by System C, is a paperless early pregnancy, gynaecology and maternity system which enables a single pregnancy record to run across multiple sites.  

Northampton General Hospital’s maternity service received a rating of “requires improvement” from the Care Quality Commission (CQC), according to an inspection report published in February 2023. 

One of the issues identified by the regulator was that staff “didn’t always fully and accurately complete records in relation to antenatal appointment and birthing plans”. 

A spokesperson for UHN told Digital Health News the hospital is currently live with System C’s Careflow maternity solution, but plans to transition to the BadgerNet EPR in 2025. 

“A UHN project has kickstarted for this implementation and we recognise the importance of implementing a new maternity information system to ensure we are aligned with national maternity standards and drivers for improving patient care and staff experience.

“We do not anticipate any impact operationally at this time from the implementation timescale,” they said, adding that the wording in the August 2024 board paper “wasn’t up to date”. 

Nick Wilson, chief executive of System C, told Digital Health News: “We continue to support the University Hospitals of Northamptonshire Group to deliver the maternity services they provide and are currently finalising our contractual agreement with them.  

“Once this is concluded, we will be in a position to agree the BadgerNet project timeline.  

“We look forward to continuing our work with them throughout the implementation and beyond”. 

UHN are among a growing number of NHS organisations going live with the BadgerNet maternity system. 

 In June 2024, University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust rolled out the BadgerNet maternity system and Badger Notes online portal and app. 

A month later, we reported that three trusts in the South West that form the Bath and North East Somerset Swindon and Wiltshire Acute Hospital Alliance are to go live with BadgerNet in 2025. 

Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust has also announced that it will go live with BadgerNet and the accompanying parent portal BadgerNotes on 24 September 2024.