Croydon is first hospital in UK awarded HIMSS EMRAM stage 6 for IT adoption

24 October 2014

Croydon Health Services NHS Trust has become the first hospital in the UK to be awarded the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) level 6 by international health information body the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). The award was presented to the Trust at a ceremony in Rome, Italy, earlier this month.

EMRAM grades hospitals with ratings running from 0 to 7. Grading criteria are strict, and only those organisations that can demonstrate effective electronic systems for specific functions such as patient records and medicines management are able to achieve a high grade. No UK hospital trusts currently hold a Grade 7.

The backbone of the Trust’s medical IT system is the Cerner Millennium EMR, which was implemented in Croydon Health Services Trust in September 2013 through a 'local provider' contract with BT and Cerner which is now managed by the Health and Social Care Information Centre — which took over the remains of the National Programme for IT when it was shut down under the current government's reorganisation of the NHS.

Trust Chief Executive John Goulston, who oversaw the roll-out of the system, said, “I am thrilled that HIMSS have recognised the success of the Trust in improving patient care by implementing the Cerner Millennium system. The system was designed to support what the Trust aspires to deliver to all of our patients: safe, effective and efficient care.

"Cerner Millennium is working effectively across the Trust and, as an integrated care organisation, our patients are benefitting from it every day, with staff both in hospital and the community can make more informed decisions, able to instantly access all of the information recorded for each patient at the touch of a button.”

Emil Peters, Vice President and Managing Director of Cerner Limited said, “Cerner is very proud to have been able to support Croydon Health Services NHS Trust in their achievement and congratulates them on this award. EPR adoption is proving to be the path to better, safer, and more joined-up care and I look forward to seeing more organisations across the NHS improve these systems to support their staff, their patients and the communities they serve.”