NHS trust uses IT to meet patient targets

The new system will allow the trust to track patients

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has installed new systems to help meet government targets for treating patients.

From December 2008 all patients must begin treatment within 18 weeks of referral from a GP, requiring the trust to track the treatment time of all patients.

The system, deployed by suppliers LogicaCMG and Lombardi, will allow the trust to identify patients who may miss the target and ensure services are delivered.

The trust will draw on existing patient information from its clinical data repository and other systems to provide tracking in real time.

The software will also provide the hospital with information to redesign processes to eliminate bottlenecks, ensure best practice and improve efficiency, said the trust’s ICT director James Thomas.

‘The new system is all about improving the care and treatment of patients,’ he said.

‘It will not only enable us to better manage resources, but will also improve the patient experience by reducing uncertainty in the scheduling of treatments and by ensuring that clinical interventions are undertaken quickly.’