SOFTWARE designed to improve the way vulnerable care home residents are looked after has been welcomed by Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt during a visit to West Yorkshire.

Devised by Horsforth-based TPP, the SystmOne Care Homes software is being piloted at Donisthorpe Hall Care Home in Leeds. It enables care staff to access residents’ electronic medical records containing vital data from other health and care services and helps the care home to provide more informed and consistent care for the individual.

Mr Hunt met the team involved in the project from TPP and Donisthorpe Hall as well as residents and family members who have embraced the system. His visit marked the formal launch of the SystmOne Care Homes product.

Through using the programme, the home has reduced hospital admissions and enabled residents to access their health record online.

Jeremy Hunt said: “Technology is the key to 21st century and personalised healthcare, so it is great to see companies like TPP leading the way with new software which will put residents in control of their health and crucially, which will lead to better, more responsive, joined-up care.”

The SystmOne Care Home project began following a discussion between Jeremy Hunt and Frank Hester, TPP’s founder and chief executive, during a trade mission in China last year.

Mr Hester said: “In order to provide the best care, you need to have a complete picture of a person’s health and social care needs.

“Historically, there has been a disconnect between residential care homes and NHS services, meaning those caring for a patient do not always have the most up to date information.

“By offering all care homes this software, free of charge, I believe that this will enable further integration with the NHS whilst improving care for the elderly.”

Suzy Musgrave, Donisthorpe Hall manager, added: “Adopting new technology has already provided numerous benefits for our residents.

“For example, it has improved the communication between health organisations, which results in faster outcomes. In one instance, by using SystmOne, the time to process a prescription was cut down from 24 hours to 25 minutes.

“SystmOne has helped to streamline our processes and has saved us a lot of administrative time, allowing us to spend more time with our residents.”