University Hospitals of Derby and Burton and Chesterfield Royal Hospital sign joint EPR contract with Nervecentre

University Hospitals of Derby and Burton (UHDB) and Chesterfield Royal Hospital (CRH) have signed a joint multi-year contract with Nervecentre to implement its Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system.

This strategic move signifies a major leap forward in digital transformation for the region’s healthcare system. The cloud-based multi-tenanted EPR, poised to be one of the largest in the UK, will align patient records across both acute providers within Joined Up Care Derbyshire Integrated Care System and other neighbouring acute trusts.

The contract has been signed following a successful application for funding from NHSE in March 2024.

Will Monaghan, Chief Digital Information Officer at UHDB said: “The tools we make available to our colleagues make a material difference to their ability to look after patients and what it feels like to come and do their jobs. We always want to find the best possible systems to support them. We have found that in Nervecentre. Hundreds of people have been involved in choosing the system and we are incredibly proud to be partnering with Nervecentre. This will make it better to deliver and receive care at our hospitals.”

Dr Jon Cort, Chief Digital Officer at CRH said: “The future of our electronic patient record system provided by Nervecentre will see such huge benefits to patients, our colleagues and communities. The new EPR will significantly enhance the efficiency of our healthcare operations, it will streamline processes and facilitate seamless communication between healthcare professionals and organisations. Our colleagues will benefit from improved access to patient information, enabling them to make more informed decisions and deliver enhanced care to our patients.”

“We are confident that this partnership with Nervecentre will mark a new era of healthcare excellence. Together, we are committed to driving positive change and delivering superior healthcare outcomes for our community.”

Stephen Posey, Chief Executive at UHDB and Senior Responsible Owner for the new EPR system, welcomed the opportunities Nervecentre provides: “I am grateful for the hundreds of colleagues who shared their vital feedback, and those who have worked hard to secure our future EPR. Nervecentre has been developed with clinicians at its heart, and will provide faster, easier access to patient records, allowing our staff to spend more time directly caring for patients. The wealth of patient information available will support our people to deliver safer, better quality care for our patients at all our hospital sites across Derbyshire and Staffordshire.”

Nervecentre CEO, Paul Volkaerts, said: “We’re delighted to be working with UHDB and CRH on this groundbreaking frontline digitisation initiative that will drive transformation and break down barriers between providers. The integrated EPR across the trusts will allow unrivalled access to real-time patient information. Ultimately, this will improve the day-to-day working lives of their staff and improve the safety and quality of care for patients.”

The contract with UHDB and CRH further extends Nervecentre’s footprint in the East Midlands, where Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust has also recently signed a multi-year EPR contract with Nervecentre. In November 2023, Northampton General Hospital selected Nervecentre as its preferred EPR. Acute trusts in Leicester, Nottinghamshire and Bedfordshire also use Nervecentre software extensively.