HANDWRITTEN patient records are being abolished as Lancashire Ambulance Service becomes the first in the country to use an electronic system.
The NTL system means that 55 ambulances, 20 hospitals and 24 ambulance stations in the county will be linked to speed up the transfer of critical patient data.
NTL has been given a five-year £500,000 contract to provide the system.
Paul Bastow, clinical effectiveness manager, said: "One of the ways we can help crews do their job is to reduce form filling and enable them to concentrate on the clinical requirements of the patient.
"Once information is entered on the handheld PC by ambulance staff, it can be transferred to the receiving hospital department using Smart Card technology and stored electronically for later use in evaluating the clinical effectiveness of the patient care delivered."
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