First-of-its-kind solution promotes information sharing

North East London Foundation Trust has gone live with the Servelec’s National Event Management Service (NEMS) in a first-of-its-type implementation that will promote interoperability between child health services.

Servelec is one of the first organisations to connect to NEMS, in partnership with NHS Digital which led the initiative.

When we started this journey we set out to put interoperability at the heart of everything we do

In doing so, it can securely provide digital messages to trusts where data flows between Rio, its electronic patient record (EPR) system, and GPs, Child Health Information Services, maternity, health visiting, and other NEMS-connected platforms.

The data is shared between the systems seamlessly, giving clinicians instant access to data they need to deliver quality services.

The London trust, which has been a user of Rio since 2009, began the implementation in 2019 and now has automatic access to the messages including new birth notifications, GP updates, address updates, death notifications, Newborn and Infant Physical Examination screening results, newborn hearing results, bloodspot results, and professional contacts.

Covering the boroughs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Redbridge and Waltham Forest, the trust receives around 800 messages a day, which were previously entered into the system manually in a time-consuming process.

Ultimately it has improved service delivery, and for staff it has reduced the number of inefficient new birth visits significantly

Now, the messaging is automated and will improve quality and safety, reducing duplication of work where information needs to be entered into more than one system, or instances where health visitors in three different areas within the same locality all receive birth information because a patient has three registered addresses.

It has also allowed the trust to collaborate with partner agencies, enabling important data sharing with local authorities and other healthcare organisations.

Another benefit is that it allows NELFT to provide an eRedbook to its patients, which is the digital version of the paper Redbook given to parents on the birth of a child.

This puts children’s health data into parents’ hands – as the personal health record for the child automatically receives critical data from NEMS and displays it to them.

This means they have an easy to access, current record of critical information on their child’s healthcare journey, such as immunisation records, creating a long-term health record for the child and offering up-to-date advice for parents.

And, unlike the current physical Redbook, it is far easier to keep track of and harder to lose.

Sean Flynn, the trust’s EPR systems manager, said: “We are keen to get the most out of our EPR system. This is why when we were approached about being the first of type for NEMS for Rio we grabbed it with both hands.

“Ultimately it has improved service delivery, and for staff it has reduced the number of inefficient new birth visits significantly.

We believe it has the potential to improve people’s lives with technology that matters

“This has helped us demonstrate to our patients that the trust is an efficient and effective service.”

Karen Ventura, head of interoperability at Servelec, adds: “When we started this journey we set out to put interoperability at the heart of everything we do.

“By connecting Rio up nationally using the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) message standards we could facilitate the automatic receipt of data into the system from multiple sources - this was an exciting prospect and as a result this development became a priority for us.

“Connecting Rio up to NEMS for the trust, and to the healthy child programme, will provide people, organisations, commissioners, staff and patients with a better digital experience, and we believe it has the potential to improve people’s lives with technology that matters.”