11 Sep Innovative digital tool launched to enhance local health and social care services
Patients will benefit from improved health and care services as local NHS and social care services across mid and south Essex have come together to launch a new digital tool, the Mid and South Essex Shared Care Record.
Led by the Mid and South Essex Integrated Care System (MSE ICS) and developed in partnership with Orion Health, the Shared Care Record is an innovative system that will transform how professionals work to deliver more holistic care. It allows them to securely access vital information, ensuring patients and residents receive the best and safest care possible.
Information about a person’s care is managed separately by each organisation that provides it. This means individuals often have multiple unconnected health and social care records. The Shared Care Record brings together essential information from these separate records, making it easier for doctors, nurses, social workers, and other professionals to access the details they need to deliver effective care.
In an emergency, having quick access to vital information can be lifesaving. The Shared Care Record ensures that details like allergies, medications, treatments, and care plans are instantly available in a read-only format, enabling professionals to make informed decisions and deliver the right treatment without delay. Even when patients are unable to share their information or can’t remember it, the Shared Care Record equips care professionals with the details they need to act swiftly.
With quicker access to comprehensive and accurate records, professionals can dedicate more time to direct care rather than administrative tasks. The Shared Care Record also helps to reduce the need for people to repeat their information at every point of care, minimises duplication, and supports quicker treatment, helping to ensure patients receive the right care at the right time.
Liz Harrison, Advanced Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Safety Officer said:
“The Shared Care Record will help me to quickly access important information from other services involved in the care of my patients, which means I can provide safer and more efficient care. It cuts down on time spent chasing records and lets me focus more on my patients.”
Already, a large number of local health and care organisations are sharing data through the system, including hospitals, GP practices, community health services, and mental health services across mid and south Essex.
In the coming months, more organisations, including adult social care services from local authorities, will join the Shared Care Record. This will further ensure that care professionals can access vital information and provide coordinated support as people move between different services.
Mid and South Essex ICS encourages residents to learn more about the Shared Care Record and its benefits by visiting www.midandsouthessex.ics.nhs.uk/sharedcarerecord
