A ‘scandalous’ spreadsheet system that contributed to an Isle of Wight man’s death has been replaced.
However, the Isle of Wight NHS Trust said there were some ‘minor glitches’ when the system went live.
Failed system contributed to death
The previous system contributed to the death of Thomas Higgins, 96, who broke his neck in a fall at his home in Binstead, in November 2015.
An inquest heard he had probably slipped on fluid seeping from his legs.
The Isle of Wight coroner said the district nursing team missed five opportunities to visit him over three days.
The Excel database which stored appointments collapsed frequently and changed data because of its large size and wifi problems in Ryde.
Issues still being resolved
The new database, TPP SystmOne, has been live on the Island for the last five months.
Jennifer Edgington, head of nursing and quality and Queens Nurse, said:
“The system is certainly changing the way our community teams work across the Island with the introduction of one patient record.
“As with any new system, there are a number of issues that are still being resolved such as connectivity in various parts of the Island and we have been modifying the system as we become more familiar with its capabilities to ensure it meets our needs.
“But being able to share one patient record across GP practice and community nurse teams is incredibly useful and as staff become more confident in using the system, it will further assist in delivering truly integrated care to patients across the Island.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some additions by OnTheWight.
Image: dominiquegodbout under CC BY 2.0
