Saving 50% of admin effort for the NHS
Rotherham Foundation Trust
The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust, led by CIO James Rawlinson, is dedicated to leveraging technology to improve healthcare delivery. The trust aimed to streamline the referral process through integration of the Electronic Referral Service (eRS) with their Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system, reducing administrative burden and enhancing patient care.
A partnership
The problem: time consuming admin causing inaccuracies
As demand increased for triage and Advice and Guidance services, the trust faced a significant challenge.
The process for managing patient referrals required large teams of staff to manually download referral documents and enter them into patient records, consuming considerable time and leaving room for errors.
The trust sought an automated, accurate solution that would allow administrative staff to focus on more valuable tasks.
The solution: Open Source eRS Integration
We collaborated with The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust to develop an innovative eRS integration solution, automating the extraction of referral documents and data directly into EPR or document management systems.
Built with InterSystems HealthShare and Java, the integration utilises the eRS FHIR API and NHS CIS2 smartcard authentication to streamline document transfer and ensure secure access.
This open-source solution is now available on GitHub under an Apache licence, making it accessible to NHS trusts nationwide.
The results
Efficiency gains: The automated eRS integration has reduced manual workload significantly, with reported time savings of 25-40% and an overnight reduction of 50% in the effort required to process referrals.
Resource Optimisation: Administrative staff previously engaged in data entry tasks have been reassigned to more valuable roles within the trust, further increasing operational productivity.
Enhanced patient safety: By automating data extraction, the solution has reduced the potential for human error, ensuring accurate patient records and strengthening patient safety.
Open-Source Access for Wider NHS Adoption: The modular design of the integration allows any NHS trust using InterSystems HealthShare to adopt the system with minimal additional support, empowering other trusts to enhance their referral processes effectively and affordably.
"The eRS integration has been transformative for our referral process, allowing us to reallocate resources and ensure accuracy in patient records. By implementing this open-source solution, we’ve not only increased efficiency but also set an example for others in the NHS to follow. It’s a perfect example of how collaboration and innovation can address complex challenges within healthcare.”
James Rawlinson, CIO of The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
A powerful digital innovation to reshape healthcare delivery for the better
The collaboration between Answer Digital and The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust has resulted in a game-changing solution for referral management, significantly easing administrative workloads and boosting patient safety.
By offering this integration as an open-source tool, Answer Digital has laid the groundwork for NHS trusts across the UK to modernise their systems, improve data accuracy, and optimise resource use.
The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust’s adoption of this solution underscores the power of digital innovation to reshape healthcare delivery for the better.
Looking to enhance your Trust too?
Get in touch to adopt the eRS integration into your Trust and replicate similar effieniceys.