Published on: 13 April 2021

ELHT is delighted to announce the decision to implement the Cerner Millennium EPR solution as our new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system. 

The multi-million-pound investment will replace paper-based records and other electronic processes, enabling access to a single, reliable and integrated source of clinical information. The new EPR system will provide clinicians with instant and full access to a patient’s history and treatments so they can make the best decisions about their patient’s care. All patient information will be available electronically, on a screen, at any of our sites, or in any location, at any time, all of the time! It will transform the way we admit, care for, and discharge our patients, while also greatly improving the patient experience. It’s a great example of ELHT’s ongoing investment to improve our patients’ care. 

Kevin McGee, Chief Executive at ELHT said, “I am very proud of the progress made by ELHT over the past few years. This contract marks the start of our transformational journey, which has at its heart, patient care, quality of service, financial prudence, and social and community inclusion. It is clear that a robust and integrated EPR is vital in ensuring we meet the challenges we have set ourselves and will support us to continue to provide safe, personal, and effective care.” 

The system will provide the Trust with a full patient record, available in multiple locations, and will maintain the ability to evolve. This will ensure our future clinical, operational, and financial needs are also supported. 

Mark Johnson, Chief Information Officer at the Trust said, “This is a big moment for us! It represents almost 5 years of hard work carried out by a combined team of dedicated people from Performance and Informatics and Finance.  

The next steps will no doubt take us into an exhilarating episode of the future history of ELHT. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their hard work and support both now and going forward as we embark upon this new exciting challenge. This innovation will signal a massive transformation in the way we manage, monitor, and deliver services and care to our patients and the people of East Lancashire.” 

We are looking forward to working closely with our Integrated Care System colleagues and partners, not only to ensure the success of the implementation but also to provide a framework that will support the ultimate goal of having one patient information system across the region. Having a single patient information system across Lancashire and South Cumbria will mean that every person receiving health and social care in the region, does so in the knowledge that the information used to deliver that care, is up to date, accurate and from all appropriate sources.

Our patients will benefit from the implementation in a number of ways. Patients will have the confidence that we are working on their care in a joined up way, as through up-to-date patient information will be available from admission to discharge. The EPR system will support safer, more efficient patient care throughout their time in hospital. It will enable clinicians to diagnose conditions faster and provide safer, more effective treatment. By raising ‘red flag’ alerts the system will help to identify potential allergies, and improve the ability to escalate safety concerns.