Barnsley Hospital improves information access and security

Barnsley District General Hospital has gone live with a new patient-record access system from Azzurri, as part of a five-year managed-service deal worth £1m. Clinical staff at the hospital have easier access to a wider range of infor­mation now that the old green-screen VDUs have been replaced with flat-screen terminals. These new workstations have easier navigation through a user-friendly interface, and increased security. Smartcard technology allows authorised staff to log on to the system and terminate access simply by removing their cards. Around 3000 clinical staff have Internet and email access for the first time.

“We have already seen a vast im­prove­ment in communication around the hospital and our staff have been able to get up to speed on the new system quickly and easily”, said Janet Platt, clinical lead for electronic records development. “This new technology has opened up a wealth of opportunities for us to improve our own processes, and therefore service to our patients, which we intend to take full advantage of.”

The system will be used to view and edit patient records and, in the future, order prescriptions, book xrays and laboratory tests, all from the wards. Through the Internet and intranet, staff will also be able to view the latest internal policies and access best-practice guidelines online.