The Rotunda Hospital live with MN-CMS

The Rotunda Hospital, Dublin, the oldest continuously operating maternity hospital in the world is the first Dublin maternity hospital to introduce a full electronic health record (EHR) for all newborn babies and women receiving maternity services at the hospital. The Maternal & Newborn Clinical Management System (MN-CMS), a national system which will be implemented in all 19 maternity units across the country will enhance care as all patients will have an electronic record instead of a paper record, allowing clinical record information to be shared with relevant providers of care, as and when required.

Professor Fergal Malone, Master, Rotunda Hospital, said: “We are very proud to announce that the Rotunda Hospital is the first Dublin maternity hospital and the third hospital nationally, to introduce the Maternal & Newborn Clinical Management System (MN-CMS). The Rotunda is the first stand-alone hospital to go completely electronic in terms of its maternity health care records, which has the potential to offer great efficiencies for patients and healthcare providers. We anticipate even further advances in terms of patient safety and satisfaction over and above our existing services. This successful launch is a result of the collaboration, dedication and teamwork of many staff within the hospital, the HSE, Cerner and maternity services nationally.”

Minister for Health, Simon Harris TD, said: “I’m delighted that Ireland’s oldest maternity hospital is its newest digitally enabled hospital.   This is the latest hospital to be included in the MN-CMS project, following the already successful introduction in Cork University Maternity Hospital and University Hospital Kerry.  The electronic health record for mothers and babies was endorsed in the National Maternity Strategy and supports better, safer clinical decision-making and facilitates the provision of a more connected health service delivering improved health outcomes.  The roll out of MN-CMS to the Rotunda Hospital marks a very significant development in the delivery of maternity care.”

Ms Helen Byrne, Chair MN-CMS Project Board; Head of Planning & Performance Acute Hospitals Division said; “The implementation of MN-CMS in the Rotunda Hospital marks an important and exciting milestone in the lifecycle of the project. I want to acknowledge the hard work of all the staff who have made this possible. Their commitment to this project demonstrates unfailing commitment to the provision of safe, high quality and nationally consistent maternity services for the benefit of women and babies”.

Jane Carolan, Interim CIO HSE said; “This is another important step in our Electronic Health journey, MN-CMS is one of eHealth Irelands flagship programmes. This is a significant investment in modernising the service through the deployment of technology which directly improves patient care. The go live is another step in the journey for the Rotunda Hospital, a hospital with a fantastic history and exciting future – Welcome to the Digital World” 

Among the first newborns at the Rotunda Hospital to have their own electronic health records from birth are Baby Martin Avolese weighting 6lbs 7oz born to parents Mariangela Toma & Martin Avolese from Raheny, Dublin 5 and Baby Freya Grace Harran weighing 7lbs 14oz born to parents Martina Melia & Paul Harran from Balbriggan, Co. Dublin

The system has been specifically tailored for the Irish healthcare system with clinicians completing a full clinical validation of the design and build of the MN-CMS.