Getting the EPR Reporting Basics Right.

Statutory national reporting is a mandated requirement of all NHS provider organisations. It underpins how the NHS measures, monitors and benchmarks NHS organisations and is crucial for financial, operational, and clinical quality oversight.

Key Components of Statutory Reporting in Acute Care

Statutory reporting in Acute care includes the Commissioning Data Sets (CDS), Emergency Care Data Set (ECDS), Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS) and Neonatal Data Set (NDS) amongst others. They all provide key information for Health System Leaders, NHS England and the government on the performance and safety of the NHS as well as transparency for the public. This transparency means the data often makes its way into local and national headlines when performance or safety is compromised particularly when related to high profile issues like waiting times, Emergency care and Maternity and Neonatal care.

Recent Developments in EPR Reporting

Recently, Digital Health News reported that NHS England has written to health service leaders reminding them of their requirement to submit nationally mandated returns during the implementation of electronic patient record (EPR) systems.  This follows a number of high–profile cases where trusts have been left unable to provide statutory reporting for extended periods following an EPR go-live. The letter also reminded them that mandated returns are required as part of their provider license and comes at a time when all large government IT projects are under scrutiny.

Addressing EPR Project Challenges

While large scale EPR projects are a complex mix of technology, people and process we must ensure that we get value for money and the basics right particularly when there is significant variation in EPR projects cost from 10s-100s of millions of pounds and the implications of not reporting are significant.

There are 3 steps that all trusts can take to prevent this issue.

1. Ensure that any EPR procured can meet NHS statutory reporting requirements and has a track record of providing statutory national reporting.
2. Provide transparency across the NHS about known EPR issues that prevent statutory reporting.
3. Ensure contracts hold suppliers to account if their system prevents statutory reporting.

If we do not get value for money and fail to get the basics of EPR deployments right, we will jeopardise the further digitisation of the NHS which is crucial for its long-term future.

Next Steps

Learn more about our Electronic Patient Record and how it can transform healthcare for everyone.

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