Digital team making 'good progress' as IT issues continue at Royal Oldham

The Trust says Digital IT team is now working with technology providers to resolve the issue.

NHS bosses say progress is being made on resolving failures in digital IT clinical systems at the Royal Oldham hospital.

The Northern Care Alliance, which operates the Royal Oldham, Fairfield General in Bury, and Rochdale Infirmary, says IT issues at the hospitals are having an ‘operational impact’, meaning services are ‘slower and delayed’.

The IT glitch, which has been ongoing since May 18, is also affecting North Manchester General, which is run by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

The Royal Oldham Hospital began experiencing IT problems on Wednesday 18 May.

The Trust says Digital IT team is now working with technology providers to resolve the issue. It's understood a number of priority critical systems are in the process of being tested to go live again.

Issues with the IT system have been causing problems with electronic prescribing, viewing patients’ medical records, finding test results – as well forcing appointments and surgeries to be cancelled.

Clinical information or diagnostic tests can also not be accessed online.

Northern Care Alliance declared a 'critical incident' following the IT failure, and advised patients that they would experience "delays and additional waiting across some of our services

Our Digital IT team continue to make good progress to resolve the ongoing IT issues affecting our IT systems at Oldham, Bury and Rochdale.
 
Our A&E departments may be busier than usual this week so think carefully before attending.

Last week, Debbie Abrahams, the MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, and Jim McMahon, MP for Oldham West and Royton, wrote to the NCA to ‘underline’ their concern’ that members of Parliament were not notified about the IT problems until five days after they had begun occurring.

“On a matter of such significance that has the potential to impact the health of our constituents we expect better,” the pair wrote.

“Unfortunately, this is not the first time an incident has occurred at the Royal Oldham, and we are informed of the issues last minute or by reading about it in the local press ourselves."

The Northern Care Alliance are asking patients to "think carefuilly" about attending A+E services, and use the NHS 111 line if possible.

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