Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust (LTHT) has successfully moved its electronic patient records system to Microsoft Azure. This migration was part of a larger initiative to enhance the reliability, resilience, and scalability of its IT infrastructure. With a staff of 20,000, the hospital migrated its software, PPM+, to Azure in early 2022.
The trust now plans to leverage Azure as a foundation for launching and supporting additional services. It has also started shifting its data platform to the cloud in order to enhance integrated care and resource allocation. PPM+ was initially developed as a small-scale in-house application for cancer care teams over two decades ago. As the system expanded, it required more on-premise servers, which were costly and potentially unreliable.
Paul Jones, the chief digital information officer at LTHT, emphasized the importance of a modern healthcare environment having a robust patient record system. Moving PPM+ to Azure ensures availability to clinical staff. LTHT now boasts a fully cloud-based and scalable electronic patient record system, supporting one of the largest teaching hospitals in the country. Microsoft sees PPM+ as a model for other hospital trusts looking to advance digital transformation within the NHS.
Jones highlighted the benefits of the migration to Azure, emphasizing the improved integrated care across the region. The trust aims to play a key role in wider integration efforts across the Integrated Care System (ICS) and beyond. By ensuring data availability to clinicians and managers, LTHT is enabling data-driven decision-making within the organization.
The trust’s Leeds Care Record, built on top of PPM+, facilitates sharing patient information in a read-only format across all healthcare services in the city. This connectivity extends to the Yorkshire and Humber record system, allowing for more cohesive care and streamlined service delivery. Azure also supports the HomeFirst programme by enhancing collaboration among the various teams involved.
Jones emphasized the importance of facilitating patient discharge and support services using Azure. This ensures a smoother transition for patients returning home and promotes efficient collaboration among different organizations involved in patient care. Ultimately, LTHT is focused on leveraging Azure to bring benefits to public sector organizations at various levels through improved data accessibility and seamless collaboration.