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Altera Digital Health, a leading provider of electronic patient record (EPR) solutions in the UK, has announced a new partnership with PC PAL to enhance paediatric care within its Sunrise™ EPR system – with Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust becoming the first NHS trust to implement advanced growth charting as part of this innovation.
Through the integration of GrowthXP, PC PAL’s world-class paediatric growth charting application, Sunrise users in the UK can access an augmented depth of data to support accurate growth monitoring, diagnosis, and treatment planning. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s adoption of this functionality highlights how the flexibility and interoperability of Sunrise enables trusts to tailor solutions to meet specific clinical needs, seamlessly embedding specialist tools into everyday workflows.
The solution provides an extensive library of growth references, including local UK standards, as well as data covering over 50 rare disorders. By embedding within Sunrise, Altera is extending its commitment to equip paediatric specialists with advanced, clinically validated tools that improve both patient care and efficiency.
Dr. Shehriyar Khan, Clinical Information Officer for Women, Children and Sexual Health, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust said: “The transition from paper-based to digital growth charts has revolutionised the way healthcare professionals at MTW track and monitor growth. Replacing traditional paper-based charts with fully digitised charts has improved accuracy, accessibility, and standardisation, enabling our healthcare teams to make more informed decisions and provide better care. There has been overwhelmingly positive feedback from users after transitioning to the digital growth charts, leading to improved efficiency and productivity in the clinical environment.”
Mark Hutchinson, Executive Vice President, Altera Digital Health (UK & EMEA), said:
“We are delighted to bring world-leading growth charting capabilities into Sunrise, and proud to see Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust lead the way with our first UK implementation. This achievement demonstrates the capability and flexibility of Sunrise, enabling NHS organisations to integrate best-in-class resources that directly enhance patient outcomes.”
This collaboration reflects the shared vision of delivering innovative, evidence-based digital health solutions that empower clinicians and improve outcomes for children. Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s pioneering work sets a strong example for paediatric care across the NHS.
About Altera Digital Health
Altera Digital Health is a global healthcare IT leader. With more than 30 years of experience, we develop technology to bring next-level healthcare within reach. Our approach to solutions provides a fast, flexible and clinically driven roadmap towards digital maturity across integrated care systems.
With more than 2,700 hospitals in more than 15 countries, our solutions support healthcare providers, governments and military institutions around the world. By keeping the human user at the centre of our design methodology, we are supporting caregivers and helping patients meet and exceed their wellness goals. Together, with our clients, we’re driving a new era of healthcare. To learn more, visit uk.alterahealth.com.
About Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust
Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust is a large acute hospital trust in the south east of England. Its core catchment areas are Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells and their surrounding boroughs, and it operates from two main clinical sites: Maidstone Hospital and Tunbridge Wells Hospital at Pembury, as well as Fordcombe Hospital which the Trust acquired in October 2024.
The Trust employs a team of 8,000 staff and provides a full range of general hospital services, and some areas of specialist complex care, to around 600,000 people living in the south of west Kent and the north of East Sussex. It also provides outpatient clinics and specialist care, including stroke and sexual health services, to a wider population at locations across the region. The Trust provides cancer services to around 2 million people in Kent, Medway and East Sussex, via the Kent Oncology Centre at Maidstone Hospital, and at Kent and Canterbury Hospital in Canterbury.
About PC PAL
PC PAL is a leading, global, medical software developer providing decision-support modules for integration into medical record systems, notably the child growth charting tool, GrowthXP. Our solutions are used in 20% of the top 100 ranked hospitals in the world.
Media Contact
Jodie Cheetham (on behalf of Altera Digital Health)
Jodie@silver-buck.com
M: 07967 136010
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Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (QVH), a specialist hospital providing life-changing reconstructive surgery, burns care and rehabilitation services, has gone live with its first electronic patient record (EPR) system. The partnership with Altera Digital Health successfully launched the Sunrise EPR platform, replacing many of their patient and clinical documents in paper form and becoming paper-lite in processes.
(Caption: Paper planes made by young patients symbolising saying bye to paper documentation)
Known as Archie EPR, a name chosen by staff, as a nod to pioneering plastic surgeon Sir Archibald McIndoe, this marks the most significant digital transformation the Trust has ever undertaken and is central to QVH’s long-term strategy to become a fully digitally enabled NHS provider.
During go live, QVH was supported by 120 members of staff who became Digital Champions and floorwalkers from Altera, NHS England and other local NHS Trusts helping from day 1, helping the clinical services to adopt the changes more seamlessly. As a speciality Trust with high volume cases of Theatre procedures, it was important that staff felt supported on the ground level and could resolve any challenges that were raised. The feedback from staff has been amazingly positive.
Kirsten Timmins, Chief Operating Officer at QVH, said: “I witnessed one of the smoothest transitions over from analogue to digital, and we couldn’t have done it without our staff embracing this journey. It has been a privilege to be part of this work bringing together QVH staff, digital and technical contractors, Altera Digital Health, NHSE teams and support from neighbouring Trusts. The success of the roll out truly reflects our values as we have succeeded together. Archie EPR will transform the way we work together and across the NHS.”
Mark Hutchinson, Executive Vice President at Altera Digital Health (UK & EMEA), said, “Huge congratulations to QVH on the successful go live of its first EPR and for significantly advancing the Trust’s digital maturity. The new EPR is providing a single source of patient data, so clinical teams have comprehensive, real-time information at their fingertips to improve decision-making and patient safety. This is a fantastic achievement that was made possible by the team’s unwavering commitment throughout to ensure it remained patient focused, clinically led and digitally enabled.”
In the first week:
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4,064 clinical documents created in Archie EPR
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2,729 prescriptions prescribed on ePMA
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11,305 instances of other Trust clinical systems, e.g. PACS being accessed via patient context links from Archie EPR
Archie EPR will allow nursing and clinical teams to receive timely electronic notifications to undertake reviews and guides for decision support, ensuring proactive and responsive care. The future is to continue optimising the system, giving staff more time to focus on delivering exceptional care.
Romana Balle, Chief Nursing Information Officer at QVH, said: “Archie EPR marks the beginning of QVH’s digital journey. It represents a foundational step in modernising our clinical systems and strengthening the digital capability of our organisation. The implementation was very successful and we had positive feedback on clearer access to patient information and more efficient ways of working for teams across the Trust and with the wider NHS.”
(Caption: Paper planes made by young patients symbolising saying bye to paper documentation)
Altera media Contact:
Jodie Cheetham, Silver Buck (on behalf of Altera Digital Health)
jodie@silver-buck.com
07967 136010
QVH media contact:
Simone Onasanya – EPR Communications Lead
qvh.communications@nhs.net
About Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
QVH is a leading specialist centre for reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation, helping people who have been damaged or disfigured through accidents or disease. For more information, please visit www.qvh.nhs.uk.
About Altera Digital Health
Altera Digital Health is a global healthcare IT leader. With more than 30 years of experience, we develop technology to bring next-level healthcare within reach. Our approach to solutions provides a fast, flexible and clinically driven roadmap towards digital maturity across integrated care systems.
With more than 2,700 hospitals in more than 15 countries, our solutions support healthcare providers, governments and military institutions around the world. By keeping the human user at the centre of our design methodology, we are supporting caregivers and helping patients meet and exceed their wellness goals. Together, with our clients, we’re driving a new era of healthcare. To learn more, visit uk.alterahealth.com.