Sherwood Forest Hospitals (SFH) announces partnership with Nervecentre’s EPR to drive digital transformation

Steps to digitise patient records at three Nottinghamshire hospitals have step forward recently, as Sherwood Forest Hospitals announced its preferred supplier to make that ambition a reality.

Sherwood Forest Hospitals has selected Nervecentre as its preferred supplier to implement its Electronic Patient Record (EPR) after a robust selection process supported by NHS England.

An Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system is a digital record that stores detailed patient information all in one place, including medical history, test results, treatment plans, and other relevant data. It will provide a single, connected record to streamline decision-making, improve data quality, and help improve patient outcomes.

The decision is a key part of the Trust’s digital transformation strategy, which will also see the Trust expand its digital services and boost Sherwood’s ability to ensure safe, effective care without compromising quality for patients.

David Selwyn, Acting Chief Executive and Chief Clinical Information Officer at the Trust, said: “We have been promising that our EPR – or, as I like to describe it, our whole hospital cultural change programme - has been coming for some time. This announcement marks a huge tangible step in the realisation of this truly transformational project.

“I am delighted that our stringent procurement process has selected Nervecentre as our digital partner. We are confident that this partnership will deliver lasting benefits for our patients, empowering and supporting our staff whilst significantly improving the quality of care across our hospitals.

“The partnership with Nervecentre will also allow exciting opportunities to foster greater collaboration across the NHS Trusts in the East Midlands, ensuring we make the best use of our shared resources, improve communication across our hospitals paving the way for a more integrated healthcare system to the benefit of all.”

As part of a national rollout of EPR solutions, this system will provide further digital connectivity and collaboration across the Trust and region to provide safe and effective patient care.

Claire Madon, Chief Nursing Information Officer at the Trust, said: “I'm delighted to be working with Nervecentre on delivering our Trust's EPR Arrow programme and the positive impact it will have on our patients, colleagues, and communities. Our previous work with Nervecentre has allowed us to successfully implement various innovative solutions, including e-observations, escalations, electronic prescribing, and medicines administration.

“The introduction of an EPR to the Trust will enhance operational efficiency, streamline workflows, and improve communication across our Trust and the wider healthcare system. This transformation will grant better access to patient information, empowering individuals to make more informed decisions and ultimately elevate the standard of patient care.”

The Trust is now able to build on its long-standing relationship with Nervecentre, which has supported patient monitoring in several departments at Sherwood since 2017. This move supports key areas like patient safety, managing hospital capacity, digital prescribing, electronic observations, clinical photography, and out-of-hours care.

Work to partially introduce the Nervecentre product is due to begin this autumn in the Trust’s urgent and emergency care services.

Paul Volkaerts, Nervecentre CEO says: “We are delighted that Sherwood Forest Hospitals have chosen Nervecentre as their EPR. Its full breadth functionality, world-class ease of use, and collaborative capabilities will encourage safe and efficient care for people living in Nottinghamshire. We look forward to continuing to work with the trust in this exciting time of healthcare digitisation.”

This announcement is the next step of the plan to introduce Electronic Patient Records at the Trust, which will unfold over the next two years. The next step is to submit the Full Business Case for national approval and to secure funding from NHS England, with a decision expected later this year.

Nikki Turner, Chief Digital Information Officer at the Trust, says: “We are delighted that we have our preferred supplier identified and are closer to the transformative change that the EPR will bring for Sherwood. 

“The EPR will enable positive changes that will improve our services, allowing us to make better use of technology. We will have the opportunity to focus on improving care for patients, enhancing patient safety, and refining our working practices to enhance the patient experience.  Subject to contracts and national approval of the Full Business Case, the EPR will begin to be rolled out across our Trust at pace.”