NHS England has written to well being service leaders reminding them of their requirement to submit nationally mandated returns in the course of the implementation of digital affected person document methods.
The letter follows a collection of excessive–profile instances the place trusts have been left unable to present statutory reporting for prolonged durations following an EPR go-live, together with Royal Surrey and St Peters, Oracle Cerner; and Frimley and Manchester, each Epic.
The letter, a replica of which was seen by Digital Well being Information, says that all through the method of EPR implementation, “it’s important that suppliers keep an understanding of the wants of sufferers, via the monitoring of scientific and non-clinical exercise that has taken place, and that nationwide information will be successfully reported to help monetary, operational, and scientific high quality oversight”.
It goes on to notice that: “There have been latest cases of suppliers stopping enterprise crucial reporting, typically for vital durations, because of the impression of EPR implementation.”
NHSE additionally reminds recipients that the submission of mandated returns is required as a part of their supplier license, and advises them to make use of agreed governance mechanisms to mitigate any dangers recognized in the course of the implementation of EPR methods.
“The place there are recognized information high quality or completeness challenges, submissions should nonetheless be made, and any points reported to NHS England nationwide and regional groups – together with frontline digitisation engagement groups the place suppliers are in receipt of EPR funding,” the letter continues. “Any such points needs to be thought of as a excessive severity danger, and actions to treatment them prioritised accordingly.”
The letter additionally says that NHS England has launched extra governance for EPR go-lives to supply assurance on enterprise continuity. It says forward of every EPR deployment, the related regional director will current proof and assurance on the power of the belief to keep up reporting to the nationwide High quality and Efficiency Committee to hunt formal approval to proceed. It provides that additional details about the method shall be made obtainable “in the end”.
If, after the method is ready out, a supplier is unable to submit key obligatory returns, NHSE and the supplier will agree on a plan that shall be formally monitored via the suitable governance mechanism, the letter says. It additionally notes that NHSE is accumulating the expertise of suppliers which have accomplished EPR implementations, together with examples of classes learnt and good follow, in an EPR Information Migration and Reporting Reference Information, which covers parts of procurement, information migration, governance, testing and coaching. NHS England’s frontline digitisation group additionally provides help, to assist EPR implementation, together with masterclasses, focused coaching and peer networks, the letter says.
The letter, dated 10 January 2024, was issued extensively to executives and digital leads at NHS trusts and was signed collectively by Vin Diwakar, interim director of NHSE’s Transformation Directorate and keynote speaker at Rewired 2024 in March, Sarah-Jane Marsh, nationwide director of built-in pressing and emergency care and deputy chief working officer and Sir James Mackey, nationwide director of elective restoration at NHSE.
