Lorenzo (electronic health record)
Lorenzo was a controversial electronic health record platform (EHR) by DXC Technology, originally designed in the early 2010s as part of the National Programme for IT in the NHS. Lorenzo was deployed across more than 20 NHS trusts across the United Kingdom between 2010 and 2015, with most trusts progressing procurement activities to replace the system as of 2020.
The Lorenzo has been a highly criticised platform, with NHS reviews and coroner investigations finding the system responsible for a number of adverse patient events.
Initial procurement and launch[edit]
The NHS and DXC Technology initiated negotiations for a new whole-of-system EHR in 2010. Despite the National Programme for IT being wound up by the UK Department of Health and Social Care, the department announced that it would enter into an agreement with DXC to supply Lorenzo to NHS trusts under a Standing Order Arrangement. The SOA allows the NHS to negotiate more beneficial agreements with providers by using the full purchasing power of the combined NHS system.
There is a long history of negotiations between the NHS and the company.[1]
On 4 September 2012, the UK Department of Health announced that whilst it was "dismantling" the National Programme for IT, Lorenzo would be supplied under a new legally binding agreement with DXC.[2]
The University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust was the first to deploy the technology in June 2010, which was in Release 1.9 at the time.[3] Humber NHS Foundation Trust was the first mental health organisation to use the DXC Lorenzo patient record systems in June 2012.[4] Lorenzo systems were introduced to Warrington & Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust during 2015.[5] In June 2015 Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust went live with Lorenzo.[6] In July 2015, Digital Health Intelligence reported DXC as stating that 19 NHS Trusts had contracted to take the Lorenzo system.[7]
George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust,[8] Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust,[9] Tameside Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust[10] are also implementing Lorenzo under a financial support package which has been described as controversial.
Deployments of Lorenzo have not been without reported teething troubles. Delays in the provision of data to NHS England's waiting list system were linked to Lorenzo implementations in an HSJ article in May 2014.
North Bristol NHS Trust went live with Lorenzo in November 2015, replacing a Cerner system. North Bristol was the first NHS trust in the South of England to take the system as part of an open procurement exercise outside of DXC's central relationship with the NHS.[11]
Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust installed a Lorenzo system in May 2017.[12]
In 2018 the company was given about £10 million for a national “digital exemplar” programme for the National Programme for IT. Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust and Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust are to be the examplars maximising the potential benefits of using electronic patient records.[13]
Barnsley Hospital NHS Foundation Trust switched its electronic patient record from the Lorenzo system to System C’s Careflow in July 2020. Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust will do the same shortly. Others of the 20 trusts which installed Lorenzo systems as part of the National Programme for IT are in the process of launching procurements for new systems.[14]
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals uses Lorenzo, and it has sometimes been problematic.[1]
References[edit]
- ^ Tony, Collins (15 August 2012). "Will CSC negotiate a new NPfIT deal?". Computerworld UK. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "Savings of over £1 billion will be reinvested into the NHS following the Department of Health's legally binding agreement with CSC, suppliers of the Lorenzo healthcare IT system". Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ "Lorenzo goes live at Morecambe Bay". Health Service Journal. 1 June 2010. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "Humber Foundation Trust extending Lorenzo functions". Health Service Journal. 9 November 2012. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "New electronic patient records being introduced at Halton and Warrington hospitals". Runcorn & Widnes World. 21 March 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2015.
- ^ "Lorenzo live at two more trusts". Digital Health Intelligence. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ "Eleven trusts benefit from Lorenzo cash". Digital Health Intelligence. 30 July 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.
- ^ "George Eliot Trust working on Lorenzo implementation". Health Service Journal. 13 March 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "Ipswich takes sweetened Lorenzo deal". Health \Service Journal. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "Second trust takes financial help from DH for IT system". Health Service Journal. 15 January 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
- ^ "North Bristol live with Lorenzo". digitalhealth.net. 17 November 2015. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
- ^ "Mid Essex Goes Live with Lorenzo EPR Across Organisation". DigitalHealth. 8 June 2017. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
- ^ "Four trusts named as digital exemplars for 'hopeless' IT system". Health Service Journal. 22 May 2018. Retrieved 16 August 2018.
- ^ "Trusts end Lorenzo use after failed national IT programme". Health Service Journal. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2020.