The financial plan to implement Norfolk and Waveney’s three acute hospital Electronic Patient Record (EPR) has been approved by the three Trust Boards and NHS England.

The new digital patient record solution, which will improve staff and patient experience, is part of a national ambition the government has to revolutionise how information is stored to provide better joined-up care.

The approval of the Outline Business Case gives the green light to start the procurement of a single EPR to be shared by the three trusts. The successful  supplier should be selected by the Autumn. 

Sam Higginson, Chief Executive at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Senior Responsible Officer for the EPR Programme, said: “The Electronic Patient Record programme is hugely exciting and a flagship project for the three acute hospitals in Norfolk and Waveney and we’re delighted our outline business case has been approved at a national level.

“A team of clinical staff, managers and Digital Health colleagues have been working hard in the background on this transformative project and we are looking forward to engaging further with staff, patients and stakeholders in the coming months.

“The EPR will improve patient care and allow us to manage clinical information to make it more easily available for hospital clinicians, other healthcare professionals and patients.”

The EPR rollout will be the biggest piece of digital transformation work the Acute Hospital Collaborative has ever undertaken. Working together, the hospitals have been auditing their current systems to understand what their new EPR must work with and identify areas where it can integrate with existing technology.

Jo Segasby, Chief Executive of James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “The development of the EPR across our hospitals is a significant step forward in improving and implementing digital innovations to seamlessly provide joined-up care to patients wherever they are in Norfolk and Waveney. Investment in Electronic Patient Records is the foundation that will further enable our clinical teams to use digital technology and solutions to provide our patients with the best possible care.”

The EPR will transform acute hospital healthcare by storing patient information electronically and making communication between patients and staff simpler. It will also introduce time-saving features and make it easier for health and care staff to provide safer, more personalised care.

Alice Webster, Acting CEO at QEH, said: “Building one EPR system for our patients and staff will transform how we deliver care and work at all of the acute hospitals in Norfolk and Waveney. It will help to prevent people and families telling their health and care history more than once to staff and will further improve safety, efficiency, the overall experience for our patients.”

The EPR is a major milestone in the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System’s (ICS) Digital Roadmap which promises more investment into technology and the rollout of more digital tools to improve care.

Ian Riley, Director of Digital and Data for the Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board said: “It’s fantastic that the EPR programme has hit this landmark in a journey which has spanned many years. I’d like to recognise the work staff across our three acute hospitals have contributed towards this programme. We’re looking forward to the future and bringing this innovative technology to Norfolk and Waveney.”

For more information about Norfolk and Waveney’s EPR please visit https://improvinglivesnw.org.uk/EPR.