A pioneering NHS trust has been recognised at the 2019 HTN Awards for its innovative work using InterSystems technology to help enhance care for hundreds of thousands of patients.
North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust was selected by an independent judging panel as the winner of two national awards – Health Tech Team of the Year and, in collaboration with InterSystems, Best use of ePMA, or electronic prescribing and medicines administration.
The trust became the first in England to deploy InterSystems TrakCare as its electronic patient record in 2015, and has continued to innovate with the system to improve outcomes for the 400,000 people it serves. The work it is doing is also being recognised regionally, whilst the trust is working to create a digital blueprint for other hospitals across the country as a faster follower in NHS England’s Global Digital Exemplar programme.
Professor Graham Evans, chief information and technology officer at North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust, who is also chief digital officer for the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care System, said: “For our trust, systems working in a truly collaborative approach is more integral to successful patient outcomes than ever before. As we start to look at population health for the North East and North Cumbia, it is our digital developments that will help to ensure we make the best improvements for the people that matter most – our patients.”
Dr Jay Vasani, consultant physician and chief clinical informatics officer, explains more: “TrakCare has changed how we work day-to-day, and our performance as a trust is evidence of these changes. The digital capability of having vital clinical information available to our staff when the patient needs it most is critical in delivering safe and timely care. Previous inefficiencies have been ironed out by implementing ePMA and other digital solutions. Our organisation’s absolute commitment and dedication to digital transformation has resulted in the awards to date.”
This is the second year running that the trust has been recognised at the national awards. In 2018, the trust won ‘Impact of the Year’.
Jon Wilson, editor at HTN, commented: “The Health Tech Awards 2019 were a real success, the competition was extremely high and it was very clear that there are lots great projects making a difference across health and care. It definitely gave our judges quite a lot to do to choose the winners!
“One of our judges, Dr Samra, a junior doctor from Blackpool Teaching Hospitals, commented on the work at North Tees and Hartlepool and their work with InterSystems, he said ‘simply wow’.
“It was a pleasure to hear about what has been achieved at the trust, a partnership the entry termed a health tech marriage. It showed with strong partnerships and passionate people what can be achieved.”
Christine Chapman, vice president TrakCare, InterSystems, said: “The team at North Tees and Hartlepool continue to impress. They are never afraid to be the first to adopt something new, to lead the way, and to share lessons to help others follow in their footsteps. This is about more than creating an internationally recognised, digitally mature healthcare organisation. This is about a customer that wants to achieve great things for its hardworking staff and patients. We look forward to partnering with the team for many years to come.”
North Tees and Hartlepool was not the only InterSystems customer to gain recognition at the awards. Lincolnshire STP was highly commended for the Best Connecting Healthcare Project of the Year category for its care portal and patient portal project that is using InterSystems HealthShare to join up care regionwide.
