Single child health information system launched across Lancashire

The immunisation, health and developmental records of nearly half a million children across Lancashire are now being managed by a single information system. 

Built using System C’s CarePlus software, the system gives everyone involved in the care of children in the region appropriate access to the information needed to support the health and wellbeing of children, and to also help protect and safeguard them.

The software went live last month following a largely remote deployment and was led by Virgin Care, which runs child health information services in Lancashire, organised across four hubs.

Michelle Lee, managing director of Virgin Care in Lancashire, said: “We are delighted to have all our child health data managed safely and securely in one place, and in a way which supports the Healthy Child Programme.

“This go-live is an important milestone which will really help support our focus on early interventions, preventive measures and on a co-ordinated approach to health.”

The new system is connected to the Spine and the NHS National Events Management Service which means that care professionals are receiving notifications of births, change of addresses, change of GP Practices, and deaths as well as having the outcomes of the three screening events (newborn and infant physical examinations, hearing and bloodspot outcomes) available to them at the point of care.

It also allows them to schedule immunisations and vaccinations, as well as to schedule and record health development reviews.

The go-live involved migrating 486,062 children’s records from a legacy EMIS child health platform and was conducted largely remotely because of Covid-19 restrictions and because the service was spread across four different sites.

The project has involved combining records and services across eight CCGs, three local authorities, five acute trusts, three community trusts, 176 general practices and one legacy child health information system.

Markus Bolton, joint chief executive of System C, said the company was delighted with the whole deployment in Lancashire.

“Our teams worked really very well together and it is great to see the service running live with a single system that supports the provision of joined up care to local children,” he added.