During the early 2000s, the Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust experienced many difficulties with its legacy systems and paper-based processes. The Trust’s archive spaces were at capacity. Teams found it difficult to locate important files. And, as a teaching hospital, deleting or destroying files was out of the question.
This was a problem they couldn’t solve with more paper (or warehouses). They needed a digital, future-proof solution instead.
In 2004, the Trust sought the document management expertise of its established partner, Datatron, to assist with its migration to Therefore. This involved extracting large volumes of medical records from their legacy systems and moving them to ADOS (now known as the Therefore Document Management System).
The project was a resounding success. So much so, the Trust requested additional development and IT support for its new platform.
Our proactive Therefore support
Since 2004, the Trust’s use of the platform has grown. And we’ve been there every step of the way. From archiving hundreds of millions of documents to building a sophisticated HR system, we still manage their Therefore platform with continued success.
The Trust benefits from our detailed knowledge of the system, as well as our fast and reactive support. As their dependable partner, we take away the burden of managing the system from the Trust’s IT department.
This is something John Cambell, the Trust’s Data Centre Manager, especially appreciates:
‘Datatron are subject experts in what they do; they know what they can give you, how to sell their product, what they do, and how to support it. They don’t just sell it and leave.’
How do they benefit from Therefore?
In the 2000s, digital document management was a relatively new concept. To this day, many NHS organisations still rely on paper-based processes to handle their patient and internal affairs.
The Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust knew they needed a digital solution. But why was a Therefore solution, supported by Datatron, the right fit for them?
Robust data security
Physical documents are difficult to secure. Beyond theft and unauthorised access, businesses must also consider the damaging effect of natural disasters, such as floods and fires.
For the Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust, Therefore provides reliable data security. There’s no physical risk and they can limit access to sensitive documents to authorised individuals only. What’s more, they can better adhere to medical records regulations. This increases their regulatory compliance.
Future-proofing
The Newcastle Upon Tyne Trust can adopt new transformative technologies on the Therefore system, such as e-forms and automated workflows.
These technologies allow the Trust to improve its business processes and empower its staff with faster processing, detailed reporting, and better quality data capture.
Fast document extraction
In the NHS, time is of the essence. When a healthcare professional needs to resolve a challenging problem or access historical records, every second matters.
Therefore allows the NHS Trust to search for and access case files, training materials and internal documents quickly. There’s no need to rifle through stacks of paper or call upon the IT team for help. Within seconds, authorised individuals can grab the information they need.
Simple by design
Therefore is simple and intuitive, and is used in over 140 departments across the Trust. This makes it a necessary condition for the IT department.
According to John Campbell:
‘It’s a very simple structure in the way it works. Our medical records team upload or scan information, and then the system archives the information overnight. All we need to do is back it up.’
This relieves pressure from the IT team and allows non-technical teams to take ownership of their document management processes.
Space-saving software
Beyond robust data security and ease of use, the Trust’s Therefore platform also saves a lot of space. Instead of maintaining large physical archive spaces, the records management team need only manage one platform.
It also sits neatly within the Trust’s IT stack. According to John Campbell, the system only takes up around 40 terabytes. This includes the 20 years’ worth of work stored within it.
Datatron’s excellent service
We’ve worked with Rob and David for a long time. They’re one of the best companies we’ve ever worked with.’ - John Campbell
The Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust has increased its document efficiency and security thanks to the Therefore platform. But it's our dedicated support that’s ensured consistent success throughout the years.
Unlike larger organisations, we don’t leave our clients in the lurch or respond to IT queries with impersonal scripted emails. We have a deep understanding of the Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Trust. This means their IT team can count on us to provide timely, friendly, and knowledgeable responses. And they can also turn to us for any critical development requests or innovative ideas.
Our reactive support, security best practices, and industry experience empower the Trust’s IT department to focus on more important tasks. It also allows wider teams to deliver efficient patient care.
