WDHB to go live with new patient admin computer system

Whanganui hospital's patient computer system is being upgraded. Photo/Bevan Conley

The Whanganui District Health Board (WDHB) will transition to a new regional patient administration computer system over the coming weekend.

WebPAS (patient administration system) is an expansion to the key clinical IT systems that Whanganui DHB had moved on to with the shared regional network over recent years.

WDHB chief executive Russell Simpson said the understanding of patients and visitors will be appreciated while the new system "settles in".

"Even though extensive preparation, training and testing has occurred, it is always difficult to predict how new systems will behave with everyday busy loads."

Mr Simpson said the board expects some services may operate more slowly at first, but disruption will be kept to a minimum.

"The system we're replacing has been used for more than 20 years so understandably some services may operate slightly slower than normal for a week or two while staff adjust to the new system."

Whanganui DHB and regional staff, as well as staff from vendor DXC, will be on site to provide support and assist with any issues during the transition.

MidCentral and Wairarapa DHBs went live with the regional webPAS in December last year and January 2018 respectively, and will be joined in time by Hawke's Bay, Capital & Coast, and Hutt Valley DHBs.