Electronic care records
Joining up electronic health and care records in Lewisham
NHS and social care services in Lewisham are developing ways of working together more closely to better support the needs of local residents, and make best use of the resources available.
One of the things that will help this to happen is bringing records about people’s health and social care into a single system using a common and consistent electronic care record. This will have the following benefits for patients:
- Reducing delays in care and treatment
- Staff able to spend more time on care, rather doing than administrative tasks
- Better quality and safety of care
- Care and treatment can be given earlier and closer to home – to stop conditions getting any worse and avoiding hospital admissions
- Care is more joined up so patients won’t have to tell their story to lots of different professionals
- Transfer of care between services is smoother
- Reducing unnecessary appointments, tests and associated costs
- Confidential care records are available to care professionals via a secure online portal rather than relying on post, fax and email
As well as making things better for patients and enabling staff across the health and care system to provide better care, this system will also mean that we have much more information to enable us to plan future services based on the needs of our population.
From 20 August 2018 we will be testing this system of joined up records. Records from patients who live in Lewisham and have used our hospital or community health services will be linked to records from six of the GP Practices in the borough. Information will be secure and will not be shared with people who aren’t involved in the testing.
Records have been successfully shared across organisations electronically for some time in Lewisham through the Connect Care system. This new system will build on the success of Connect Care.
If you have any questions or wish to discuss this further please speak to your care professional or call the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) at Lewisham Hospital on 020 8333 3355.