SOUTHAMPTON doctors and IT experts have been awarded £1.1 million by NHS England to develop a new digital monitoring system for critically ill patients.

The funding comes under the Safer Hospitals, Safer Wards funding and covers half the total cost of switching from paper to electronic records in all five intensive care units at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.

It means data will auto-matically be collected from monitors and devices used to support patients receiving treatment for potentially life-threatening injuries and illnesses.

Dr Mike Celinski, consultant in general intensive care, said: “The implementation of the clinical information system will revolutionise the way our doctors and nurses collect, process and present patient information, resulting in improved patient care.”