ChemoCare live at Sussex Cancer Network

The Sussex Cancer Network has completed the roll-out of electronic prescribing for adult and paediatric chemotherapy.

The cancer network began rolling out the ChemoCare system from software company CIS Oncology at the beginning of 2008.

It is now live at Royal Sussex County Hospital, Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital, Eastbourne District General Hospital, Conquest Hospital in Hastings, and has recently gone live at Worthing hospital.

The system provides multisite access consultants travelling between the five sites and allows them to view up to date patient information. It has 60 concurrent users.

Kingsley Wildman, Macmillan network pharmacist at the Sussex Cancer Network, said: “Patients and staff now have an efficient and safer system of chemotherapy drug prescribing.

“ChemoCare is now the predominant method of prescribing chemotherapy across Sussex acute hospitals.

"There has been a significant commitment from staff at the acute trusts, Sussex Health Informatics Service, the Sussex Cancer Network Team and CIS, which exemplifies multiple NHS organisations successfully working together to achieve a common goal.”

In addition to providing access to prescribing information, the system also enables clinicians to access information on standarised protocols and dose banding tables. 

It also feeds patient demographic detail and pathology data into ChemoCare to enhance decision support.

Richard Excell, project manager of CIS Oncology, said: “I am delighted that the final site delivery at Sussex Cancer Network has gone to plan with no major issues.

“This successful implementation shows the capabilities of CIS Oncology to meet customer requirements in changing environments and to deliver to an agreed schedule.

"This is in no small part due to the commitment of the Sussex Cancer Network and the calibre of their project team.”