This appeared late last week:
SA Liberals would halt controversial EPAS electronic patient record system if elected
8th November, 2017
South Australia's Opposition Leader would pull the plug on the rollout of the state's controversial electronic patient records system if elected next March.
Speaking at a breakfast hosted by the SA branch of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) today, Liberal leader Steven Marshall slammed the State Government's rollout of the EPAS software, describing it as "completely mishandled".
"This is a program which needs urgent review," he told the gathering of doctors, also attended by Premier Jay Weatherill and SA Best party leader Nick Xenophon.
"We will immediately stall the rollout of the system to any other sites in South Australia and, more than that, we will immediately undertake an independent review to see what the options are for South Australia."
Mr Marshall told the meeting the cost of the EPAS rollout had blown out from $422 million to around $471 million.
"It's an extraordinarily expensive system and we still don't have it in critical hospitals like the Lyell McEwin Hospital, Modbury Hospital [and] Flinders," he said.
The EPAS system has been plagued by problems, with doctors previously complaining it is slow and clunky, complex to use when ordering drugs and therefore potentially dangerous for patients.
But Mr Weatherill defended the system in front of senior doctors on Wednesday, describing it as a necessary part of "modernising" the state's health system.
"Its initial phases have been challenging but it will be an important part of ensuring that we provide the best possible care in the future," he said.
"It's almost staggering to believe that people would want us, in this day and age, to be confined to paper-based records."
Xenophon and AMA at odds on EPAS review
SA Best party leader and state election candidate Nick Xenophon said the rollout of EPAS had been "botched" by the Government.
He said he supported the Liberal Party's call for an independent review.
"I spoke with a clinician last night who described EPAS in these words — that it's slow and cumbersome, and that the parts that work are fine, but the bits that don't work don't fit in with the rest of the health system," he said.
More here:
Additionally we have this going on as first noted last week
SA pours another $49m into troubled EPAS
By Justin Hendry on Nov 7, 2017 6:45AM
For a major system upgrade.
The South Australian government has funnelled another $49 million into the Department of Health’s troubled electronic patient administration system (EPAS) for a "major upgrade" intended to make the system run better.
It brings the total cost of the project to $471 million to date.
The state-wide system, underpinned by Allscripts technology, has long been a cause for concern, suffering numerous delays, usability issues and cost overruns since the project was initiated six years ago.
Although budgeted at $408 million at the time of cabinet approval in December 2011, the cost of the project quickly rose to $421 million shortly after.
That figure has since grown to $471 million.
According to SA Health’s deputy chief executive Don Frater the money will be used for a “major system upgrade”.
Lots more here:
I really wonder if the Liberals have actually thought this through – given the ‘blood and treasure’ already expended.
David.
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