Medway go-lives delayed

Two trusts due to deploy the Medway patient administration system this spring and summer have delayed their go-lives.

Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust had planned to have the PAS from System C, a McKesson company, deployed by now.

Southend was due to go live with its new PAS in July, however, it decided to push back the go-live to ensure the transition would run smoothly.

The trust’s chief executive, Jacqueline Totterdell told EHI that a new go-live date would be set shortly.

“We continue to work in close partnership with System C in order to ensure we can confidently and successfully transfer to the new system, and with this in mind we have agreed to postpone the go-live date,” she said.

Down the road from Southend, Colchester was due to go live in April this year, but the date has now been put back to mid-October.

The trust’s finance director, Mike Baker, told EHI that the April date had been set in 2011 before the trust realised how much work it needed to do before go-live.

“Timing of a major systems implementation is critical to the efficient running of a hospital,” he said.

“On detailed review of the impact and risks it was decided that April 2013 would not be appropriate and given the numbers of staff impacted by the change and training needs, a date of mid-October was selected taking account of the summer holiday period and allowing for training requirements, but in advance of winter pressures.”

Whittington Health in London is another trust due to deploy the Medway PAS this summer after going live with the maternity module in May.

EHI understands that the PAS and A&E modules were due to follow in August, but will now be going live in September.

Whittington’s IT director, Glenn Winteringham, said the trust is in the final stages of testing to ensure the safe and successful implementation of the two modules.

“The successful launch of the Medway maternity module in May has given us every confidence for the forthcoming go-lives,” he said.

“Later in the year we will be launching a new GP Portal to enhance our partnership working with commissioners and other key GP partners. We are also working with McKesson to plan, design and build an integrated community module within the Medway system.”

All three trusts run the legacy Totalcare system, also from McKesson, for which the support contract ends in March next year.

In May, McKesson announced its intention to sell McKesson UK, including subsidiary System C.