Norfolk and Waveney Collaborative approves £88m Meditech EPR

NHS Norfolk and Waveney Acute Hospital Collaborative has signed a deal with Meditech worth £88 million for an electronic patient record (EPR) system.

The collaborative is made up of three NHS trusts: Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; James Paget University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn NHS Foundation Trust.

Meditech was selected as the supplier in August 2023 and the EPR is planned to go live in 2026.

The Meditech EPR is intended to support the acute hospitals to change the way they operate, enhance the patient experience and improve the flow of information between the three hospitals.

Alice Webster, chief executive officer at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital King’s Lynn and senior responsible officer for the EPR programme, said: “This transformative initiative will empower our healthcare professionals to deliver exceptional patient care by providing them with accurate, up-to-date, and easily accessible patient information.

“We believe this investment in digital innovation will greatly enhance our ability to meet the healthcare needs of our community now and in the future.

“By eliminating the reliance on paper-based records and multiple disparate systems, the EPR will enhance coordination and collaboration among clinicians, nurses, and other healthcare staff, resulting in improved continuity of care for our patients”.

Once the EPR is in place the trusts will cease using paper-based records and disjointed systems, enabling them to access to real-time health and care information in one location.

There will also be real-time alerts and reminders which are aimed to reduce medication errors, allergies and adverse events.

Dr Ed Prosser-Snelling, chief digital information officer and EPR senior responsible officer at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals said: “This EPR system will form the backbone of our electronic clinical data systems and open the door for our staff and patients to access the benefits that artificial intelligence and other technologies bring.

“We will work closely with our regional, national and international partners to make sure the new system is safely deployed”.

The full business case received ministerial approval in June 2024, securing funding from NHS England and Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care Board (ICB) for the EPR.

Norfolk and Waveney NHS ICB published a tender in June 2024 for a population health management digital solution, with an estimated value of £1.25 million to £1.42m.

Other trusts to announce new EPRs include University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which went live with an EPR from Oracle in June 2024, and the Acute Hospital Alliance which announced plans to implement a shared Oracle EPR across three trusts in the south west of England in 2026.