North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust (NTHFT) partners with ReStart to deliver integration into the Great North Care Record
ReStart has provided interfaces from NTHFT Health Connect Integration Engine to provide patient demographic, visit, appointment and allergy information into the Great North Care Record. The Great North Care Record is supported by the Cerner Health Information Exchange (HIE) and covers a population of 3.6 million.
COVID continues to prove that patient information is crucial. Several areas of patient care were delayed, due to the hesitancy of individuals to risk catching the virus and NHS services being overwhelmed by unprecedented levels of hospitalisation. This set back thousands – from cancer patients waiting for further treatment to mental health patients who were already facing off with suicidal ideations.
The HIE electronically connects patient information from GPs, local hospitals, social care, community and mental health teams.
‘A more rounded approach to patient care’
Paul Savage, Project Manager, Digital Programmes, North Tees & Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “While we were able to quickly access information from the HIE, it is really important for each Trust to contribute patient information to the HIE. By providing a rich picture of each individual across both health and social services, the Great North Care Record will deliver the holistic information of patient interactions across the region that will enable a more rounded approach to patient care.”
NTHFT engaged ReStart to partner with the Trust to provide information to the Cerner Health Information Exchange.
Paul Savage said: “One of the challenges was a tight deadline. Planned upgrades to the HIE between April 2021 and July 2021 meant a complete development freeze – we had to get our interfaces up and running by the end of March 2021 or wait several months. Further delays caused by upgrades to the hardware at NTHFT meant we were really pushed against that deadline.
“ReStart was excellent at managing the process and ensuring we went live on time.”
Expanding the shared Care Record?
NTHFT is now one of eight Trusts, as well as all GPs in the North East Cumbria region, contributing to the Great North Care Record. Looking ahead, the Trust plans to share documents, discharge summaries as well as pathology and radiology results to enhance the pool of patient information further.
With interoperability crucial to the NHS Digital agenda, the Trust anticipates expanding an internal skills base. To pursue this, it has turned to ReStart for mentoring and training.
Mike Fitzgerald, Head of Technical Business Development, ReStart, commented: “As interoperability requirements continue to expand throughout the NHS, it is important for Trusts to build confidence and knowledge to support strategic direction. NTHFT’s partnership with ReStart has not just provided essential interfaces with the Great North Care Record but also access to our IMX suite of services and solutions which offer a seamless way to embrace and scale interoperability across a wider health and social care community.”
ReStart is a provider of interoperablity solutions for the NHS and the only supplier 100% dedicated to giving healthcare professionals in any care setting access to the right information at the right time to improve patient care, no matter how technically advanced you are. ReStart understands that interoperability is a key priority for the NHS.
For more information on ReStart’s services, support and interoperability solutions please email hello@restartconsulting.com.
