Mental health EPR supplier Servelec has signed a contract with Medway Community Healthcare (MCH) to implement its electronic patient record system, Rio.

Rio will allow MCH to easily share patient data with its partners and other critical IT systems throughout the organisation and align its digital services with the NHS Long Term Plan, supporting the delivery of joined-up patient care.

Medway Community Healthcare selected Rio due to its rich functionality and its ability to integrate with several IT systems through the supplier’s cloud-based interoperability platform, Conexes.

As a social enterprise and integrated care provider (ICP), MCH works with acute community and mental health trusts and GPs across the region. Conexes will allow these trusts to connect with its EPR system and create a local shared care record, allowing data to be recorded and easily accessed by all partners.

Work on the implementation has already begun and the EPR is set to go live later this year.

Christina Caller, associate director of infrastructure and procurement at Medway Community Healthcare, said: “As a community provider we picked Rio due to its sophisticated ability to integrate with related IT systems.

“Rio allows us to include easy interoperability within the system, so we can stay connected with our partners and other critical IT systems in use at Medway Community Healthcare.

“Further to this, Servelec has an excellent grasp on clinical safety and has provided a thorough clinical hazard log for MCH’s Senior Clinical Safety Lead to work with. As a customer, this level of expertise and guidance is greatly reassuring and something that we had not experienced with previous suppliers.”

Medway Community Healthcare is upgrading to Servelec’s Rio EPR from its current solution with business software and services provider, Advanced.

The EPR system will be used by approximately 1,300 members of staff, covering a number of different children’s and adults’ services, including mobile clinicians.

Rio can be accessed through a web browser and mobile app, helping clinicians provide better care to patients when treating them at home.

Neil Laycock, managing director of healthcare at Servelec, added: “We’re pleased that Medway Community Healthcare looked to Servelec to help it improve digital health services, in line with the NHS Long-term Plan, and to achieve its interoperability ambitions.

“Their vision to transform how data is shared across their systems, as well as those of its partners, aligns with our own aspirations to create a fully interoperable NHS.

“As a technology provider, we advocate openness so that patients can reap the benefits of a joined-up approach to their care. We look forward to supporting MCH on its journey, as it makes full use of Rio.”