Clinical Systems - FOI Response Register

Please provide information regarding the following system contracts:

1.      Clinical Communication and Collaboration

2.      Diagnostic Reporting

3.      Digital Dictation

4.      Document Management

5.      EPR

6.      Laboratory Information Management System

7.      Oncology

8.      Order Communications

9.      Pathology

10.     Patient Portal

11.     Pharmacy

12.     Sexual Health

13.     Theatres

Please enter 'No System Installed' or ‘No Department’ under supplier name if your trust does not use the system or have the department:

a) System type –

b) Supplier name –

c) System name –

d) Date installed –

e) Contract expiration –

f) Is this contract annually renewed? - Yes/No

g) Do you currently have plans to replace this system? - Yes/No

h) Procurement framework –

i) Other systems it integrates with? –

j) Total value of contract (£) –

k) Notes (e.g. we are currently out to tender) –

Please provide your answer in the above format for each system.

System definitions:

Clinical Communication and Collaboration: Clinical communication and collaboration tools enable clinicians to securely electronically communicate, both individually and across teams, to co-ordinate and plan patient care.  They are often delivered as mobile apps and may be embedded into clinical workflow or connected to EPRs.  Some may be offered as alternatives to Bleep systems. Examples: Bleepa, Alcidion, Armour Communications, MedicBleep

Diagnostic Reporting: test results which are electronically transmitted to the clinician who ordered them, with receipt acknowledgement. This is usally a module in EPR, PACS or RIS system.

Digital Dictation: device used for recording and managing natural speech, allowing staff to verbally input a patients' note into a system without having to manually input it.

Document Management: Converts records into electronic format so that they can be viewed, moved around, and managed electronically on screen. Acts as a live filing system.

EPR: An electronic patient/health record is an electronic record of periodic health care of a single individual, provided mainly by one institution. A digital version of a patient's paper chart.

Laboratory Information Management System: Software that allows you to effectively manage pathology testing and reporting. By using a LIMS, your lab can automate workflows, integrate instruments, and manage samples and associated information.

Oncology: An Oncology Information Management solution supports the multidisciplinary teams involved in the care of patients with cancer.

Order Communications: Electronic ordering communications systems (OCS) are computer applications used to enter diagnostic and therapeutic patient care orders, for example laboratory test requests or prescriptions, and to view test results. The primary aim of the system is to remove most of the current paper-based process for requesting laboratory investigations and for receiving results.

Pathology: Pathology testing is managed electronically

Patient Portal: It is a secure online website or app that allows patients to access their health records and perform basic transactions with their providers. The portal facilitates communication, appointment scheduling, bill payment, prescription requests and other administrative tasks.

Pharmacy: Pharmacy orders and stock control is managed electronically

Sexual Health: Software designed to streamline and manage processes related to sexual health services, including appointment scheduling, patient records, and test result tracking.

Theatres: A specialist theatres system is used to manage patients and surgical procedures in theatres.

NHS Shetland believe that by releasing this information into the public domain, we are providing information which will increase the risk of the organisations IT infrastructure being unlawfully targeted and penetrated by unnecessarily exposing information related to its current systems.  Organisations could use information about systems to then orchestrate focussed cyber-attacks on the organisation, knowing which systems we run, especially with some of the older operating systems being no longer supported and therefore vulnerable. Such attempts, if successful, would be likely to prejudice substantially the Board’s ability to exercise a number of its purposes, but particularly those described under FOISA section 35(2)(g) and section 35(2)(h) i.e., to secure the health and safety of its staff and patients. For this reason, we believe that the exemption under FOISA, section 35(1)(g) applies to the information requested. These purposes derive from, but are not limited to, the NHS Shetland’s statutory duties under both the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978.

We acknowledge that any exemption applying under section 35 is also subject to the public interest test. We have therefore applied the public interest test and subsequently determined that, in the context of this specific case, the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs that in disclosure of the information.