The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
WQ.431/2021
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY THE CONNÉTABLE OF ST. BRELADE
QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 25TH OCTOBER 2021
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 1ST NOVEMBER 2021
Question
Will the Minister advise why £9.4 million is required to fund a new Electronic Patient Record system when an Integrated Care Record (ICR) Programme was introduced in April 2010 based on funding allocated in 2006; and will the Minister indicate whether any consideration has been given to upgrading that existing Programme?
Answer
The current Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, TrakCare, was introduced in April 2010. The Government's contract with TrakCare is reaching its contractual end in July 2022. Like most contracts, this one has two components which are capital and revenue costs. The revenue costs relate to the annual payments for the support, as well as software licensing. As the contract is due to end, we have been advised by the current supplier that if we were to renew the contract, then we must upgrade to the latest version which would include additional capital costs.
Following the GOJ procurement framework, an open market tender was initiated. During this process, the incumbent software provider also provided its proposal and tender. Therefore, consideration was given to upgrading the existing Electronic Patient Record software and a detailed evaluation undertaken as part of the procurement process.
The supplier was chosen following an evaluation of potential suppliers by more than 50 clinicians within Health and Community Services (HCS) and technical experts from health informatics, data governance and modernisation and digital. The decision was based on product capability, an ability to partner and collaborate, and value for money.
The current TrakCare software provider and its proposal did not meet the standards and requirements either functionally or commercially.
Due to the speed at which new software progresses, we require a system that easily links with other applications within our island's healthcare environments. This is impossible with our current EPR system, which was identified during the tender process, whether we upgraded or not.
The new EPR solution will provide the following key benefits:
• Help clinicians diagnose patients more effectively, reduce medical errors, and provide safer care
• Deliver a sustainable and continued improvement in the quality and safety of acute care within Jersey
• Provide accurate, up-to-date, and complete information about patients at the point of care
• Enable quick access to patient records for more coordinated, efficient care
• Securely share electronic information with patients and clinicians.