Somerset becomes first local authority to use Electronic Patient Record System

Somerset County Council has deployed an electronic patient record system (EPR) in a bid to support its public health nursing services for children.

The local authority has become the first of its kind to introduce the Rio EPR, which is provided by Access Health, Support and Care – a leading provider of software for health, local government, and care organisations across the UK – to support the council’s Healthy Child Programme provision.

In Somerset, the Health Visitor Service delivers the Healthy Child Programme zero to five years which provides five mandated visits for every child in the area.

The new EPR system, which went live last October and which all staff have now been trained to use, can automate many aspects of the care planning process, including appointment booking, birth registrations and caseload allocation. It also includes an integrated text messaging service.

The supplier said the EPR enables the council to identify where demand for services is higher, so the 150 public health nursing practitioners employed by the service can be allocated more effectively.

Somerset’s Clinical Lead for the project, Sarah Bourne, said: ‘It’s unprecedented for a local authority to provide nursing services like this, so we needed a system that was designed to meet our needs so we can best serve the children and families of Somerset.

‘The system is connected to the NHS Spine, which means we have full visibility of all new births in the country when they happen, as well as receiving notifications when children move to the area, so their care can be administered as quickly as possible, and we can…protect those who are most vulnerable.’

Ms Bourne added that the data stored in the system will also be used to shape future services, enabling the council to look at different interventions and identify levels of service at a granular, local population level.

Head of Public Health Operations for the council, Rachel Parker, said: ‘Delayed intervention is a major contributor to health inequalities.

‘By improving the overall efficiency of the service, families can access public nursing services more quickly, getting the support they need sooner, so they’re less likely to need as much support later on in life.’

In addition to local authorities in Somerset opting to use smart technology to advance their healthcare services, health experts in England have admitted that technology could be the solution to help relieve current pressures the NHS are facing.

Photo by John-Mark Strange and James Shaw