Northamptonshire Care Record providing safer and better care for patients
The rollout of the Northamptonshire Care Record continues to go from strength to strength with more than 1,500 health and care professionals making use of the new system in its first 12 weeks of operation.
The Northamptonshire Care Record enables providers of health and social care in Northamptonshire to instantly access patient information held by other providers for the purpose of direct care. Joining up care records allows health and care professionals to deliver the best possible treatment and support by having instant access to the right information at the right time.
The NCR launched in October 2023 and combines over 829,000 individual patients registered with GP practices in Northamptonshire with patient data from Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals and NHFT. Eventually the shared records will also include data from other local organisations, including social care providers, the voluntary and community sector, and East Midlands Ambulance Service.
All GP practices across Northamptonshire already have access to the Northamptonshire Care Record, while rollouts of the NCR are well under way at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital.
The feedback received from users so far has been very positive. Since its launch, the NCR has been accessed more than 21,000 times by over 1,500 individual health and care professionals accessing more than 20,000 patient records.
Easier access to shared information, at the touch of a button, will help staff make better informed decisions, stop patients from having to repeat themselves and potentially reduce treatment delays. Work is now under way to fully launch the system at Northampton and Kettering General Hospitals over the next few months.
Kirstie Watson, Digital Director of NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board, said:
“It’s fantastic to see that the Northamptonshire Care Record is already being used 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This innovative tool is helping professionals better understand the needs of their patients so that they can make the best decisions for their health and care.
“We are delighted to make a significant step forward in giving all health and care professionals at NHFT access. The NCR will improve care for NHFT patients and save valuable time for busy staff.
“Making the best use of digital technology will help transform the healthcare services that people in Northamptonshire receive and that is our key priority. The Northamptonshire Care Record is helping us provide the very best care possible for the communities we serve.”
All records are strictly confidential and can only be accessed by clinical and care staff who are directly involved in an individual’s care.
For further information, please visit www.connectingyourcare.net.