Royal Papworth Hospital & Cambridge University Hospitals Partner to Introduce Shared Electronic Patient Record

The partnership will extend CUH’s existing Epic electronic patient record system to Royal Papworth Hospital through an Epic Connect model.

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have partnered to introduce a shared electronic patient record across the organisations.

Under the partnership, CUH’s existing Epic electronic patient record system will be extended to Royal Papworth Hospital through an Epic Connect model.

The two trusts will work with Epic Systems Corporation to implement the shared system.

The shared EPR is intended to support the exchange of patient information across the two hospitals, which are located next to each other on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus.

The trusts said the system will provide clinical teams with access to patient information in one place when patients move between their services.

Sharing thoughts, Harvey McEnroe, COO and executive senior responsible officer for the EPR programme at Royal Papworth Hospitals, stated the partnership as “a huge step forward” for both trusts, adding that “We are grateful to NHS England, our integrated care board and all our partners for their support and collaboration in helping make our ambitions to create a shared electronic patient record a reality. This clinically led decision will transform the way we deliver care, strengthen collaboration between our hospitals, and enhance our research capabilities, benefiting patients and staff for years to come.”

The initiative is intended to support more coordinated care by providing clinical teams with patient information in one place, helping streamline transitions, reduce duplication, and minimise the need for patients to repeat their medical history.

It is also expected to support transparent communication among staff, smoother patient pathways and more efficient workflows across the two organisations.

Royal Papworth Hospital currently operates a separate EPR system. Under the new arrangement, CUH’s Epic platform will be extended to the hospital, with the existing system being replaced as part of the implementation.

Cambridge University Hospitals has used Epic as its electronic patient record system since 2014.

Commenting on the development, Dr Sue Broster, Chief Medical Officer at Cambridge University Hospitals, said, “This important development will improve the experience of patients receiving care across our two hospitals. By bringing information together securely in one place, it will support smoother transitions, reduce duplication and help us achieve our aim of patients only having to tell their story once. It will also help ensure that care remains consistent and is delivered at the right time.”

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