Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board (ICB) has launched Strata Health’s referral platform, a unified electronic system to help streamline patient referrals across the primary, secondary, community and social services sectors within the Integrated Care System (ICS).
By using the platform to consolidate all patient referrals the ICS has been able to establish a cohesive and efficient approach to support caring for its 555,000 local residents.
Chris Reid, chief medical officer, NHS Cornwall and Isles of Scilly ICB, said: “From GP to hospital services, Strata is a faster, more comprehensive and integrated way to refer patients to the right care and support they need.”
The Strata Health PathWays system delivers a network of more than 250 referring locations and a fully operational clinical portal. It enables the smooth transfer of patients across three Integrated Transfer of Care (ITOC) Hubs and 15 primary clinical pathways covering a range of services including community nursing, specialist services, care home support and brokerage services.
Going live on 4 July 2023, the platform received 462 referrals on day one, with a further 472 referrals on day two.
The project and contract for partners were managed by the NHS’s Cornwall IT Services. Kelvyn Hipperson, senior responsible officer, said: “Strata replaces a solution that was implemented very quickly during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We now have a platform that can be developed further to continue to improve the visibility and effectiveness of patient referrals across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.”
Clint Schick, chief executive at Strata Health UK, added: “This launch signifies a paradigm shift in patient care, enabling seamless coordination and empowering healthcare professionals with comprehensive tools for efficient and effective decision-making.
“The Strata PathWays system opens new doors of possibilities, fostering a future where timely and quality care is accessible to all.”
At the end of 2021, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust rolled out its digital solution for cancer care referrals, the same year that the former NHSX set out its intentions to improve electronic referral services.