Two Cheshire NHS Trusts select MEDITECH Expanse for innovative electronic patient record plan

Two NHS trusts in Cheshire today revealed plans to create a joint electronic patient record using MEDITECH Expanse. Combined, the Trusts provide acute and community healthcare services to a patient population of more than 550,000.

East Cheshire NHS Trust and Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are working together on the project that will replace their current paper-based records with one modern and comprehensive source of information, known as the Digital Clinical System (DCS).

The Digital Clinical System will allow staff to capture and view up-to-date information on a range of devices, giving colleagues immediate access to the most up-to-date information and a complete view of a patient’s healthcare journey. Staff, patients, and their families will benefit from a large selection of digital tools that help improve decision-making, safety, patient flow, orders, appointment scheduling, and more.

MEDITECH will work with trust teams to design the solution around their unique needs, leveraging expertise of frontline staff to create a system that provides the best care and improves patients’ experiences. Both trusts will develop, build, and test the system ahead of a planned launch in 2024.

“This collaboration between the two trusts provides a unique opportunity to transform the experience of both patients and staff,” said Chief Executive of East Cheshire NHS Trust Ged Murphy. “We must continue to embrace digital technology to become more flexible and meet the needs of a growing and ageing population. This new electronic patient record will play a vital role in that work.”

Interim Chief Executive at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Russ Favager added: “Digital innovation is at the forefront of our ambitions to modernise services and provide outstanding care for the communities we serve. Being able to share information more effectively with our health and care partners will also support moves towards more informed, coordinated care across the region, with patients at the centre of everything we do.”

“I’d like to congratulate our colleagues at Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and East Cheshire NHS Trust on taking the next step towards implementing their electronic patient record (EPR) systems,” said Cathy Fox, NHS Cheshire and Merseyside Integrated Care Board (ICB) Associate Director of Digital Operations. “These systems will not only make a difference in frontline delivery for health and care professionals, but also in the quality of services we’re able to provide to the 2.7 million people that we serve in our region.”

Starting last year, a joint Digital Clinical System business case was developed with the support of both local and regional colleagues. Following a detailed procurement process, MEDITECH was then chosen to supply East and Mid Cheshire’s electronic patient record, which was later approved by NHS England and Improvement.

“By partnering to deliver a shared EPR, East and Mid Cheshire are taking an important step forward to improve care for the communities they serve,” said CEO Charlotte Jackson, MEDITECH International. “The digital maturity they will gain from Expanse supports the goals outlined by the Frontline Digitisation programme. As a result, their healthcare organisation will be among the most technologically advanced in the UK.”

Minister for Health Edward Argar said: “Electronic Patient Records can be transformational for both hardworking NHS staff and patients, providing vital patient information at the touch of a button. As we work to bust the Covid backlogs, it’s essential the NHS makes the best use of digital tools to modernise our health service and improve the experience of staff and patients. It is great to see East Cheshire NHS Trust and Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust collaborating on this project, backed by over £18 million in government funding.”

East Cheshire NHS Trust and Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will join a growing group of organisations in the UK that currently leverage MEDITECH’s EPR to support patient-centred care. This includes two of the three NHS trusts in the UK that have achieved HIMSS Level 7 (the highest level) inpatient certification.

Sonia Patel, System CIO and Director of Levelling Up, NHS England and NHS Improvement, said: “It’s great news that East and Mid Cheshire Trusts are collaborating on a new Electronic Patient Record system, which will help transform patient care across the region. This is a key milestone in their digital transformation journey and will provide clinicians with critical, real-time access to health information — ensuring frontline staff have the technology they need to do their jobs and provide the best possible joined up and integrated care plans for their patients.”

The selection of MEDITECH Expanse aligns with the NHS England’s Frontline Digitisation programme, which aims to accelerate the adoption of foundational technology needed to support digital transformation.