Requirements Overview

What is the purpose of the requirements?

This requirement set outlines the expectation for Secondary Care Trust Electronic Patient Records (EPR’s). The requirements are split into Core (highlighted green) and Transformation and Innovation (highlighted yellow). Core level requirements are what is expected to be deliverable by the majority of suppliers at the time of publication. Transformation and Innovation level requirements have no set expectation of delivery dates, however, these are expected to be solutions that are currently being explored.

The requirements are not currently intended to be part of a full scope assurance process and are instead intended as guidance for both NHS trusts procuring EPR solutions and EPR suppliers aiming to supply the NHS, as such they will form the basis of conversations during procurement. As such, this requirement set is to be taken as guidance rather than mandatory to aid procurements and ensure that NHS Trusts and suppliers are able to have conversations about solutions using a common language and understanding.

Role of the Purchaser

The purchaser is expected to meet at least the MDF, this will bring them to HIMMS level 5. It is understood that some trusts may have an existing digital infrastructure that covers some areas defined in these requirements, interoperability between the existing and proposed new systems should be considered.

It is understood that trusts may have specific and individual requirements over and above what is listed here. Existing procurement procedures can be used and this catalogue is intended as guidance and a checklist to ensure compliance. Acceptance criteria, scoring and weighting can be used at the trust’s discretion.

Role of the Supplier

It is expected that the supplier’s product(s) fulfil at least the MDF, this may be with a single product or a suite of interoperable products based on the current digital capabilities of the trust and the functionality of the supplier's software.

A spreadsheet will be supplied alongside this information listing each of the User Stories. Suppliers are asked to fill in the spreadsheet with one of the following numbers to denote their ability to meet the requirement:

(1) = Live – Functionality already in use in a live customer environment

(2) = Available – Functionality available but yet to be implemented in a live customer environment

(3) = 12 Months – Functionality under development and due to be available in the next 12 months

(4) = No Plan – Functionality not currently under development

These scores can be used by the Trust to evaluate the suppliers and ensure that the MDF and their specific requirements are met.

Where appropriate, each core requirement has associated standards listed. Although the Trust is ultimately responsible for compliance with the standards, a dialogue between all the relevant stakeholders is encouraged to ensure that compliance can be achieved.