Dartford and Gravesham deploys electronic test ordering system

Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust has rolled out an electronic test ordering system to help clinicians place orders for imaging and pathology investigations. Clinisys ICE went live on 10 June 2025 to around 2,000 clinical users across all the trust’s wards, the maternity and paediatric units, the emergency and same day emergency care departments, and outpatients. Previously, clinicians placed orders for imaging and pathology investigations on the trust’s 25-year old patient administration system or on paper. Guy Sisson, a consultant gastroenterologist and chief clinical information officer at Dartford and Gravesham, said: “This has been a long-running project that has really picked up speed over the past year. “Once we decided on a big-bang go-live, our project team, our IT team, Clinisys, and our PAS supplier all worked together to make it work. “It was almost like a hackathon, with everybody in a room making it happen. “Since then, the feedback has been how intuitive the system is. “It has been received very, very well and it supports the next steps on our digital journey: turning off paper, implementing a new laboratory information management system (LIMS), introducing digital results reporting and, eventually, deploying a new electronic patient record (EPR).” Dartford and Gravesham is also looking to procure a new EPR and its laboratories will deploy the Clinisys WinPath LIMS next year. Once the LIMS is in place, clinicians will be able to receive test results electronically through ICE, with the aim of improving turnaround times and making more information available to clinicians for diagnosis and treatment. Louise Dewing, programme manager at Clinisys, said: “The rollout of Clinisys ICE at Dartford and Gravesham shows just how important pathology is to modern healthcare and how modern pathology systems can act as the foundation for further digital developments. “This implementation took place in a complex environment, but we were delighted to see it through to a successful go-live, and even more delighted to see how it has been received. “We now look forward to supporting the roll-out of Clinisys WinPath and further ICE projects across the network.” The implementation of Clinisys ICE at Dartford and Gravesham is part of a wider series of pathology IT developments in the Kent and Medway Pathology Network. This is a partnership of seven laboratories across three pathology services at four NHS trusts: Dartford and Gravesham, Medway, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, and East Kent Hospitals University.