Jersey’s EPR plans delayed by ‘patchy WiFi’

Plans to update Jersey’s electronic patient record (EPR) system have been delayed owing to WiFi issues, according to an annual report.

IMS MAXIMS was selected as the Government of Jersey’s preferred EPR supplier in October 2021, with the £29.3m system planned to be fully implemented by 2025.

Jersey General Hospital announced that it had implemented the MAXIMS EPR system across all departments in 2023.

However the ‘2024 annual report for Q2’, published by the Government of Jersey’s Health and Community Services (HCS) on 13 August 2024, reveals that plans to update the EPR at the hospital are behind schedule “due to dependencies on the hospital Wi-Fi improvement plan”.

“Once the patchy Wi-Fi issues in the hospital have been addressed, the WiFi modules can be progressed,” the report says, adding that workstreams are now scheduled to be implemented into mid-2025.

Commenting on the delay, Paul Morris, digital health programme manager at the Government of Jersey, told Digital Health News: “In May 2023, Jersey’s Health and Community Services successfully implemented the IMS MAXIMS EPR system which is currently being used across relevant departments.

“As part of our digital health strategy, there is a planned programme of enhancements, some of which are Wi-Fi dependent.

“Once these Wi-Fi issues have been addressed, these enhancement modules will be progressed”.

The annual report also says that a planned ophthalmology EPR, which was intended to create automation and efficiencies “to deliver shorter waiting times”, has been put on hold due to “resource constraints”, with a review planned in 2025.

An EPR in the sexual health clinic, which will “capture structured clinical data and remove paper-based process”, is still on track for implementation in Q4 of 2024. HCS signed a contract with IMS MAXIMS in June 2023 for the delivery of the company’s sexual health solution, PreView.

In May 2024, the HCS implemented an electronic prescription system at the Jersey General Hospital’s pharmacy, which is aimed to reduce waiting times and improve patient safety.

However the report says that although the electronic patient medicines administration (EPMA) system rollout is complete, an upgrade has been delayed because of software functionality issues.

“Discussions are ongoing with the supplier to assess potential solutions,” the report says.

The digital transformation is part of Jersey’s five-year strategy, which the report says has “the vision of making Jersey a digitally-world-class health and care system that uses technology everywhere to deliver accessible, joined-up, person-centred care”.

In February 2024, an audit report by auditor general Lynn Pamment raised issues surrounding the implementation of Jersey’s EPR.

Pamment found that the “levels of engagement from senior clinicians and managers fell below what was expected and hoped for”, despite “significant attempts” made by the EPR programme team.

The Government of Jersey had not replied to Digital Health News’ request for comment at the time of publication.