Blood tests project puts Cambridge and Papworth ahead in IT interoperability

Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have achieved a first-of-type in the UK by interfacing their electronic patient record (EPR) systems – Lorenzo at Royal Papworth and Epic at Cambridge University Hospitals – to speed up laboratory ordering and results. The interface means blood test orders and results can be shared electronically between the two organisations, delivering significant time and safety benefits for laboratory staff and clinicians, and putting the trusts at the forefront of NHS IT interoperability.

            Royal Papworth Hospital has just moved into a state-of-the-art building on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, alongside Cambridge University Hospitals (Addenbrooke’s Hospital and The Rosie Hospital). The two trusts share a pathology service, so ahead of the move a complex piece of IT integration work was undertaken to enable timely sharing of blood tests for patients at Royal Papworth. The work included a first-of-kind integration development between the DXC Lorenzo EPR system used by Royal Papworth, and the Epic EPR used by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

            Andrew Raynes, Director of Digital and Chief Information Officer at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, described this as “a huge feat”. He continued: “In total, we needed to integrate five systems, but the major challenge was the interface between Epic and Lorenzo. There was no reference anywhere else in the country for doing that, but, with Cambridge University Hospitals, we collaboratively achieved a bi-directional interface and we did it in just seven months.”