Mid and South Essex ICS launches shared care record
- 10 September 2024
- Mid and South Essex ICS has launched a shared care record in partnership with Orion Health
- The record consolidates health information from hospitals, GP practices, mental health, and community services
- The next phase of development will focus on expanding the system to include adult social care services
Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (ICS) has launched a shared care record in partnership with Orion Health to transform the delivery of health and care services in the region.
The digital solution, which launched on 27 August 2024, consolidates essential health information from hospitals, GP practices, mental health, and community services – and soon from social care – with the aim of providing health and care professionals with up-to-date information, reducing duplication and supporting informed decision-making.
Data is being shared from organisations including Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, IC24, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, North East London NHS Foundation Trust, Provide CIC, and 145 GP practices in mid and south Essex.
This includes key information such as conditions, medications, allergies, referrals, demographics, inpatient discharge summaries, and mental health summaries.
Tom Abell, chief executive at NHS Mid and South Essex, said that the launch of the shared care record is “an important step in our journey toward integrating health and social care across mid and south Essex”.
“By providing our health and social care teams with immediate access to vital patient information, we can improve patient safety, reduce duplication, and ensure more coordinated and personalised care.
“The system not only makes our services more efficient today but also ensures we are better prepared to meet the changing and growing needs of our population,” Abell added.
The shared care record is integrated into the existing systems used by care providers, allowing professionals to access a person’s record from their usual IT system without needing an extra login.
It allows vital information to be instantly accessible in a read-only format without disrupting workflow, with the aim of enhancing patient safety and allowing health and care professionals to focus more on delivering care.
The record, which is expected to deliver £1.7 million in annual efficiency savings across the ICS, was accessed by 1,296 professionals to support the care of 9,381 patients in its first week.
Mark Hindle, vice president EMEA at Orion Health, said the launch of the shared care record “marks a crucial step forward in realising a fully integrated health system”.
“A comprehensive, longitudinal patient record is the foundation for true innovation in NHS services. It enables seamless information sharing across care settings, ensuring clinicians can access a patient’s more complete medical history.
“Upgrading to a newer generation of technology helps future-proof Mid and South Essex ICS by enhancing patient care and unlocking the potential for new, data-driven technologies like AI to transform care delivery,” Hindle said.
The next phase of development will focus on expanding the system to include adult social care services from the three local authorities within Mid and South Essex ICS, with the aim of further strengthening local integration between health and social care.
In August 2024, Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust also rolled out an integrated AI solution and communications platform, with the aim of reducing missed appointments and improving waiting times.
