Scottish doctors work on their Web site manner

Patients in Scotland will among the first in Britain to benefit from electronic health records in a scheme being rolled out by the Scottish NHS.

A consortium led by the Sema Group has won a contract with the Scottish Executive Health Department to provide a Web-based platform for more than 1,000 GP clinics and 76 hospitals.

The system is based on ecommerce specialist Neon's e-Biz 2000 XML-based server. The initial aim is to integrate disparate IT systems from different NHS Trusts, but the contract also paves the way for an electronic patient record system - something the government wants to roll out across the UK.

One hospital already using the technology is Raigmore in Inverness, and Mike Lister, head of information management and technology at the hospital, welcomed the rollout.

He said: "Our philosophy is that it's very nice to have a fully integrated patient care system with information available to clinical staff at the point of care - wherever that is."

Raigmore began implementing Neon's technology three years ago, under the company's former name, Microscript. Lister and his team developed a laboratory system to take results from old systems and present them to clinical staff through a secure Web browser front-end.

The hospital now has a database which lists all patients' previous test results and is easily accessible to staff.

Raigmore has also secured funding from the NHS Executive to develop a system which allows doctors to book hospital appointments for their patients, following trials in four surgeries. "The Highland Health Board covers 10,000 square miles," said Lister. "In some cases, it took GPs six days to send a letter - now it can be done immediately."

James McVicar, Sema Group's account director for the NHS in Scotland, said the rollout will take a few years to complete. "The health service will take it at their own speed," he said. "Some Trusts are more prepared than others."