New Patient Information System for NHS Scotland

29 January 2010

Nurses and doctors are set to get easier and quicker access to patients' records with the signing of a contract for a new national patient information system today.

The preferred bidder InterSystems and NHS National Services Scotland have signed a national framework contract for a replacement Patient Management System for NHSScotland.

The new system is InterSystems TrakCare^TM, a connected healthcare system that will help to speed and improve the effectiveness of patient care.  Patient information will only need to be entered once to make it immediately accessible by authorised staff in other hospital departments. TrakCare's functions include general hospital patient administration with complex scheduling, clinical support tools, order communications functionality and results reporting.

Health Secretary, Nicola Sturgeon said: "This contract will enable Health Boards across Scotland to implement a single, nationally available patient management system that will play a major role in improving patient services. Clinicians and patients will both be winners from a system which will track patient journeys from referral to discharge. It means clinicians will have easier and quicker access to medical records and patients will benefit from having more time with healthcare professionals."

Alan Lawrie, Programme Board Chairman said: "We believe that this solution will play an important role in streamlining patient services leading to faster diagnosis and treatment while enhancing patient safety. Not only will this give us a modern technical base but it has been chosen by the staff who will be using it."

Kerry Stratton, Healthcare Managing Director of InterSystems said: "The decision to use Health Board staff from many departments in the selection process has given us a clear understanding of NHSScotland's immediate requirements and long-term vision. We are now ready to focus on delivering TrakCare for the benefit of patients and staff in Scotland."

The contract is a national framework in line with the eHealth Strategy that will enable any Health Board access to the system and associated modules over the next four years.

Initially the five Consortium NHS Boards involved (Ayrshire & Arran, Borders, Grampian, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Lanarkshire) will place contracts to the value of £44M. These Boards, together with NHS Lothian who already have this system, care for 70 per cent of the Scottish population.  Additional NHS Boards are already in discussion about how this national framework can benefit them.

NHS National Services Scotland supported the Consortium by providing procurement services.