The chief executive of an east London hospital trust has warned of delays ahead of rollout of new electronic patient records.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust (BHRUT) is the only acute trust in London to rely on paper records.
The rollout of the electronic patient record (EPR) was originally planned to take place this month, but has been postponed to November by the trust.
The delay is understood to be in an attempt to get things right first time.
Once introduced, the EPR will allow medical professionals at BHRUT to access a patient's healthcare record and information across providers.
The change is also expected to improve the safety of information and reduce errors.
Chief Executive of the trust, Matthew Trainer, has described the planned change as "game changing for our patients and staff".
In a newsletter to stakeholders, Mr Trainer said: "It’s a massive undertaking which we need to get right and it’s why we’ve moved the launch date from this month.
"We want to ensure everyone has the right training and we’ve addressed any technical issues."
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The chief executive warned however of the potential for the transition to be "bumpy", bringing with it the likelihood for a "short term, adverse impact" on the performance of the trust while staff adjust.
Mr Trainer told this paper: “Our electronic patient record (EPR) will be game changing for our patients and staff, making it possible for medical professionals to see a patient’s information across healthcare providers, while improving safety and reducing errors.
“It’s a massive undertaking and, in the short-term, patients may experience some delays as our teams adapt to a new way of working.”
