On the 11 June 2022 Frimley Health Foundation Trust (FHFT) will be launching a new electronic patient record system called Epic EPR.

Epic EPR is going to transform care for our patients and staff across all FHFT hospitals and sites.

We are getting one electronic system to replace the 200-plus digital and paper-based systems we have in the Trust. This one database will hold one record for every patient, helping us understand and plan for better care and continue to provide excellent services for our patients.

Having all the information we need about our patients in one easily accessible place is the foundation to achieve our six strategic ambitions as a Trust.

One of our new key functions of Epic EPR is ‘EpicCare Link’.

FHFT EpicCare Link is a secure web-based portal that grants our community members (including primary care clinicians and teams) real-time web access to view their patient’s FHFT chart. GPs can use EpicCare Link to drill into clinical visits that occur at the Trust to view discharge summaries, medication changes, notes, results, and more.

Each FHFT EpicCare Link site will have at least one site administrator, whose role will include requesting and monitoring user accounts for that site / practice.

To register for an EpicCare Link account, click on the login button on the right.

Once an account request is complete, it is sent to FHFT to review and approve. 

The link needs to be used to register every individual in the practice. The named administrator for each organisation will be asked to verify every user.

Each user will then receive an email with their username and password to verify their account. Once this has been completed, they will be able to access EpicCare Link.

Each site administrator will be able to request and deactivate user accounts for your site / practice.

Online tip sheets for training will be shared and made available​ including on EpicCare Link and on the FHFT website. Details on when this will be available will follow soon.

EpicCare Link will update in real time. If information is changed and saved in FHFT’s Epic system, then it is then viewable in EpicCare Link immediately.

EpicCare Link is a read-only portal. Any concerns with information contained within documentation should be flagged in the usual way to the Trust.

Yes - FHFT staff will document electronically on Epic for ward rounds and outpatient clinic visits, and any patient administration system needs.

EpicCare Link is a real-time view of the FHFT patient chart. If a letter or note is written and approved at FHFT, then you will instantly be able to view it in EpicCare Link.

You will be able to see FHFT letters, notes, encounters (outpatient appointments, admissions, theatre admissions), bloods and other labs, procedure results (imaging, theatre, etc), referral letters, MDT meeting minutes, and patient clinical data (diagnosis, chronic problem list, Frimley Health drug chart with the full prescription details, allergies, etc), and an ARIA treatment summary for patients receiving cancer care at Frimley Health.

You will also be able to see notes, encounters, medications, allergies, and problems documented at other Epic NHS trusts. Other Trusts currently live on Epic are Cambridge, Royal Devon and Exeter, University College London and Great Ormand Street Hospital.

Future Epic sites include: Manchester (Autumn 2022), Guy’s and St Thomas’ (Spring 2023), Royal Marsden (Spring 2023) and Health and Social Care Northern Ireland (2023).

Patients will not be able to message EpicCare Link GPs from the new MyFrimleyHealth Record patient portal. The portal is only for communication with secondary care clinicians.

Patients log into MyFrimleyHealth Record to access their secondary care information, which is very separate to GPs access to viewing records on EpicCare Link. EpicCare Link is strictly for clinicians in the community, such as GPs. Patients will never log into or have access to EpicCare Link.

Within MyFrimleyHealth Record, patients will have the ability to contact their FHFT medical care team about medical questions related to their secondary care.

GP trainees will need a separate EpicCare Link login. They can share this login across GP sites, but they cannot use the hospital logins when working in primary care.

No, the Electronic Prescribing System is out of scope for Epic go-live, prescriptions will be printed from Epic replacing handwritten prescription. We intend to integrate with Electronic Prescribing System in the future.

Real time electronic consults through EpicCare Link are not part of our Epic EPR launch at this time.

FHFT will continue to offer urgent advice via our phone directory and routine advice via Advice and Guidance requests sent via eRS.

If you have any questions about EpicCare Link or issues with registering, please email the helpdesk: fhft.epiccarelink@nhs.net