North Tees picks InterSystems

North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust has chosen InterSystems as preferred bidder for its electronic patient record system, making it the company’s first major English EPR site.

The TrakCare system is widely used in Scotland, where it covers 70% of the population, and is in place at the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases NHS Foundation Trust; but North Tees is the company’s first major sale of the latest version of the system in England.

TrakCare will replace North Tees’ legacy iExpress PAS from CSC, which has been in use at the trust for 26 years and has reached its end of life. The new system will include core EPR modules such as A&E, maternity, theatre and e-prescribing.

Lynne Hodgson, director of finance, information and ICT at the trust, said the PAS and EPR project will enable it to achieve a paper-free environment before 2018.

“After completing a competitive procurement process, we are thrilled to be working with InterSystems,” she said.

“The trust sees this as a long-term partnership that will help us deliver our PAS and an electronic patient record across the whole continuum of care, and that will assist us in delivering the Department of Health’s vision for NHS trusts to be working paper-free by 2018.” 

North Tees’ IT strategy for 2012-17 says it requires a PAS that “meets the demands for healthcare information” and can support clinical service delivery for the next decade.

“Given the age of the current PAS, the technology upon which it operates and the end of life status the trust is unable to continue to use the PAS beyond March 2015,” says the strategy. “A new PAS will offer greater functionality, improved ease of use and greater efficiency.”

The trust is also using TPP’s SystmOne for its community services and will continue the roll-out of that system. Steve Garrington, vice president international at InterSystems, said he was “delighted” that North Tees has chosen TrakCare.

“InterSystems shares the trust’s values for high-quality staff, long-term relationships and its commitment to its NHS customers through continuous investment in innovative products and services,” he said.