New Electronic Patient Record System Supplier Confirmed

Together with University Hospitals of Derby and Burton, Chesterfield Royal Hospital have confirmed their future electronic patient record system (EPR) will be provided by Nervecentre, after signing a joint contract last week.

Electronic Patient Record (EPR) systems are a centralised way of holding detailed information about a person's care and health, and the collaborative approach to procuring an integrated EPR solution across two neighbouring Trusts will bring significant benefits to patients and staff.

Nervecentre has a modern interface and works on mobile devices, meaning staff can have easy access to patient records at the bedside, at the click of a button. The system will also support virtual clinics, allowing care to be more accessible for our patients across Derbyshire and Staffordshire.

Will Monaghan, Chief Digital Information Officer at UHDB said: "The tools we make available to our colleagues make a material difference to their ability to look after patients and what it feels like to come and do their jobs. We always want to find the best possible systems to support them. We have found that in Nervecentre. Hundreds of people have been involved in choosing the system and we are incredibly proud to be partnering with Nervecentre. This will make it better to deliver and receive care at our hospitals."

During the competitive tender process, including demonstration days and site visits to other NHS Trusts who are using the systems currently, hundreds of clinical colleagues shared their views on potential new EPR providers, with Nervecentre scoring highest overall.

The contract has been signed following a successful application for funding from NHSE in March 2024.

Nervecentre is already a widely used EPR solution in other NHS Trusts, including others in the Midlands region, allowing staff who work on a rotational basis across other Trusts to use a familiar system.

Dr Jon Cort, Chief Digital Officer at CRH said: "The future of our electronic patient record system provided by Nervecentre will see such huge benefits to patients, our colleagues and communities. For our patients, this system means a higher level of personalised care, better coordination of their treatment plans, and increased patient safety through accurate and up-to-date medical records. This transition to digital healthcare will empower patients to take control of their health journey and enable them to be more actively involved in their care decisions.

“We are confident that this partnership with Nervecentre will mark a new era of healthcare excellence. Together, we are committed to driving positive change and delivering superior healthcare outcomes for our community."

Stephen Posey, Chief Executive at UHDB and Senior Responsible Owner for the new EPR system, welcomed the opportunities Nervecentre provides: "I am pleased that we have secured our future EPR across our two Trusts, which will bring a wealth of benefits to our patients across Derbyshire and Staffordshire. Nervecentre will support our staff to spend more time caring for patients, by providing a detailed information at our patient's bedside. It is important we support our patients to access care in a way that works for them, and the possibility of offering virtual clinics through Nervecentre will allow us to continue to bring care closer to our communities."

Speaking of the newly agreed partnership, Paul Volkaerts, Nervecentre's Chief Executive said: "We’re delighted to be working with UHDB and CRH on this groundbreaking frontline digitisation initiative that will drive transformation and break down barriers between providers. The integrated EPR across the trusts will allow unrivalled access to real-time patient information. Ultimately, this will improve the day-to-day working lives of their staff and improve the safety and quality of care for patients."

The new EPR system will take up to two years to fully implement across both Trusts.