Northampton General Hospital signs EPR contract with Nervecentre

Northampton General Hospital (NGH) has signed a ten-year contract with Nervecentre to implement its Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system.

The cloud based EPR will create new opportunities to digitalise healthcare services at NGH and will transform the quality of care for patients and staff by giving clinicians secure and instant access to real-time medical records to support clinical decision making.

The implementation of the system, which will also enable teams to access information on the latest mobile technology and reduce the use of millions of sheets of paper annually, will see the trust take a huge step forward in their digital transformation journey.

NGH and Nervecentre signed the long-term contract following a competitive tender process and the allocation of funding for the system from NHS England in May 2024.

NHS England is providing £1.9 billion to NHS trusts to ensure they all meet a core level of digitisation and have electronic patient record systems in place. This investment in digitising the frontline will ensure that health and care staff have access to health-related information when and where it is needed, supporting them to deliver care efficiently, effectively and safely, reducing variation and improving outcomes.

Mr Hemant Nemade, University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) Medical Director, said: “The Nervecentre EPR will give our clinicians the tools to provide our patients with the right care at the right time, every time.

“Not only will this digital transformation help to improve the lives of both our patients and staff, it will see us deliver care in a more environmentally sustainable way and enhance our ability to collaborate with healthcare partners in the East Midlands and beyond. We are excited about the prospect of partnering with Nervecentre and looking forward to building a brighter, digitally-enabled future together.”

NGH joins a growing regional network of acute trusts that have committed to Nervecentre. Nottingham University Hospitals, Chesterfield Royal Hospital, and University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS trusts have all signed multi-year EPR contracts with Nervecentre this year. University Hospitals of Leicester, who are working with UHN as part of a provider collaborative, have used Nervecentre’s EPR for several years.

These trusts, along with others in the region using Nervecentre software, will join the same EPR platform. This will encourage borderless collaboration among participating hospitals, enabling secure data exchange whilst respecting localised record-sharing preferences.

Nervecentre CEO Paul Volkaerts emphasised the importance of this partnership: “We’re delighted to welcome NGH to the growing Nervecentre EPR community. This move not only improves safety and efficiency at NGH but also paves the way for truly transformative regional collaboration.”