Stockport NHS Foundation Trust goes live with Kainos Evolve EMR

Date posted
18 August 2014
Reading time
5 Minutes

Stockport NHS Foundation Trust goes live with Kainos Evolve EMR

London August 18th, 2014 - Digital technology solutions company Kainos has announced that Stockport NHS Foundation Trust has become the latest UK NHS Trust to go live with its flagship Evolve? EMR electronic medical records platform. Since initiating the roll-out last October, the Trust has extended the software to paediatricians who see patients in outpatient clinics and in the community, to paediatric sub-specialities including paediatric cardiology and paediatric trauma and orthopaedic, and to obstetrics and gynaecology. In June, Stockport introduced Evolve right across the Trust for all brand new-patients, not previously seen at the Trust. Stockport NHS Foundation Trust, based in the north of England, provides hospital and community services for children and adults across Stockport and surrounding areas. Its main site, Stepping Hill Hospital, treats over 500,000 patients each year while community health services are run across 24 sites in Stockport and 17 sites in Tameside and Glossop. The Trust decided to implement Evolve to address the high costs and inefficiency of managing patient records on paper. It is projecting savings of tens of thousands of pounds on storage costs alone. 'We have around 900,000 sets of case notes stored on site, as well as high volumes stored off site' explains Judith Riley, Clinical Service Lead and Project Manager for Evolve at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust. 'We also have around 40,000 sets of notes in various secretaries' offices, so there is a high churn of notes travelling around sites.' Transport costs are considerable too. 'If we have to urgently get a file to the Buxton Cottage Hospital in Derbyshire, which is 30 minutes away, it means sending them via the courier service.' As well as reducing costs, Evolve brings other benefits to the Trust, such as providing secure, 'immediate' access to electronic medical records for authorised staff. Evolve's ease of use has played a significant role in accelerating deployment. Staff are adapting quickly to using the software, because it is intuitive and natural to use. Judith adds: 'The system and its front screens are very easy to navigate. We have developed a 20-minute e-learning package, and that's all people need to get up and running. Users can even personalise the look and feel of the system.' Of 4,500 potential users across the Trust, around 2,000-3,000 are expected to use Evolve regularly, including community health workers. Stockport is currently trialling the mobile version of Evolve on the iPad; once deployed this will give direct access to Evolve in clinics and out in the community. Commenting on the success of Stockport's roll-out to date, Nigel Hutchinson, head of Evolve at Kainos, said, 'We are extremely impressed with Stockport NHS Foundation Trust's commitment to Evolve and the pace with which they are deploying the platform. We're delighted that yet another major Trust has entrusted its medical records digitisation ambitions to Kainos Evolve.'