Ethical Healthcare has supported the delivery of an Electronic Patient Record (EPR) collaboration between two NHS trusts and an EPR supplier. On behalf of the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), Ethical helped draw up a collaboration agreement with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) and a contract with EPR provider Epic.  

Background 

UCLH went live with an EPR designed in partnership with Epic in March 2019. Since then, patient records are all digital and can be accessed for both in and outpatient care. They also introduced a secure patient portal that allows patients to access their own test results and schedule appointments.   

Following funding approval by NHS England, RNOH, the UK’s leading specialist orthopaedic hospital, procured Epic as a Connect model site collaborating with UCLH to deliver a cost-effective, safe, and rapid path to a single EPR.  

 

The need 

While the collaboration allowed RNOH to benefit from UCLH’s expertise in designing, implementing, and using Epic, they needed support to establish the commercial agreements between the three organisations.  

The solution 

RNOH built a team of experts with backgrounds in EPR contract negotiations, including team members from Ethical, with legal counsel from DLA Piper. Over a six-month period, the joint team provided advice on technical, commercial, and legal aspects of the agreements.  

This included:  

  • Clear service levels (SLAs) and performance metrics (UCLH and RNOH)  
  • Compliance with NHS Terms and Conditions (Epic contract)  
  • Warranties   
  • Implementation plan including RACI Matrix for the three organisations  
  • Dealing with the complexities of Information Governance and Intellectual Property 
  • Exit strategies  

Contracts and agreements were negotiated across the three organisations and they were signed in September 2024.  

The impact 

Following the successful delivery of the project, it is expected that Epic will be rolled out at RNOH in November 2025, replacing paper records and the current clinical systems with a single, fully integrated clinical record.   

Epic will be used at all three of RNOH’s sites – the main hospital in Stanmore, the Bolsover Street Outpatient Assessment Centre and the Enfield Musculoskeletal Community Health Hub.    

The success of the project has led to Ethical partnering with DLA Piper to offer legal counsel and advisory expertise for other trusts.  

It is always a difficult process, but Ethical effectively became a member of our team and managed to navigate us through it in a really helpful way. The team's abilities and attitude were impressive, and we simply couldn't have done it without them.   Bob Silverman, EPR Programme Director, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
The team from Ethical were amazing to work with – knowledgeable, supportive and helped keep us on track. Dr Lila Dinner, Deputy CEO, Chief Medical Officer, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital
It was great to be able to support RNOH; from the procurement strategy through to the contracts being signed. Working with Ethical, we have combined our legal expertise with their technical expertise to secure fair contracts for our client. Mark Vipan, Partner, DLA Piper
Bringing these three organisations together, there were many nuances to work through, and we had to ensure everyone had their say. I’m pleased that we were able to help RNOH get one step closer to an EPR for the benefit of their staff and patients. A new partnership with DLA Piper was a bonus. Judy Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Ethical Healthcare