Trust ‘first’ for new electronic patient record software

Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is set to become the first NHS mental health provider in England to adopt CareDirector software for its electronic patient records.

CareDirector is produced by Dublin-based CareWorks – a specialist provider of Health and Social Care Software Solutions with lots of NHS know-how and a 20 year pedigree.

Announcing their multi million pound partnership with CareWorks, Dr Claire Kenwood, the Trust’s Medical Director, said: “We are really pleased to be able to make this announcement. It represents the end of a long and detailed search to find the right electronic patient record system to meet our ambitions for the future,

“Colleagues have invested lots of time and energy in looking for the right product. We needed a system which would link into the Leeds Care Record and other systems like electronic prescribing; could offer fully mobile working and offer workflow prompts to help make sure important steps in care processes are met,” she added.

The Trust was supported in the requirements gathering, business case production and procurement by Apira Ltd, which will also provide the programme management for the deployment.

Speaking for CareWorks, CEO Michael Dolan said:  The team in CareWorks is looking forward to working with LYPFT to help them achieve the ambitious goals they’ve set for the future. Our CareDirector solution’s flexibility and usability for clinicians will be important in helping them to work more effectively together, enable the efficient delivery of services and make a real difference to patients’ lives.

LYPFT plans to introduce CareDirector after a two year preparation period in a ‘one-step approach to minimise disruption and clinical risk. All members of staff using the system will have been fully trained and be ready for the changeover.

Dr Nick Venters, the Clinical lead for the project added: “We’re already looking at our working practices in detail and beginning to scope what we do, how we do it and how we can better align different services. This will help us harness the flexibility of CareDirector to create more effective work and information flows. In turn, this will help us to drive up the quality of the services and care we can deliver.”