Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are partnering to introduce a shared electronic patient record (EPR) supporting more joined-up care for patients across the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and wider region.
The partnership will see Cambridge University Hospitals’ existing Epic system extended to Royal Papworth Hospital – through an Epic Connect model - with the two trusts working in partnership to deliver this. This replicates successful instances across the UK in which hospitals have extended their EPRs to local partners to facilitate joined up care.
Cambridge University Hospitals has used Epic as its electronic patient record system since 2014 and is recognised as a HIMSS EMRAM Stage 7 healthcare trust - the highest level of recognition a provider can receive for use of digital systems and data to support high-quality care. Sharing the system with Royal Papworth Hospital will support common patient pathways and more coordinated care across organisational boundaries.
The development builds on the strong relationship between the two trusts and their shared commitment to digital innovation, collaboration and improving care for patients who move between their services.
For patients, the shared system will mean more coordinated care, with information available to our teams in one place to support smoother transitions, reduce duplication and help avoid the need for patients to repeat their story.
For staff, it will support clearer clinical communication, smoother patient pathways and more efficient ways of working across the two organisations.
Implementation is expected to take just over a year and will be delivered through close collaboration between Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals and Epic Systems Corporation. Teams across both trusts will work together to design shared ways of working that support staff and improve the experience of patients moving between CUH and RPH services.
This important development will improve the experience of patients receiving care across our two hospitals. By bringing information together securely in one place, it will support smoother transitions, reduce duplication and help us achieve our aim of patients only having to tell their story once. It will also help ensure that care remains consistent and is delivered at the right time.
Dr Sue Broster, Chief Medical Officer at Cambridge University Hospitals
Harvey McEnroe is Chief Operating Officer and Executive Senior Responsible Officer for the EPR programme at Royal Papworth Hospital: “This is a huge step forward for our organisations and the patients we serve. We are grateful to NHS England, our integrated care board and all our partners for their support and collaboration in helping make our ambitions to create a shared electronic patient record a reality. This clinically led decision will transform the way we deliver care, strengthen collaboration between our hospitals, and enhance our research capabilities, benefiting patients and staff for years to come."