It is hoped that the installation of the web-based remote access system will enable staff at the new Sir William Rous Unit at Kingston Hospital to access Royal Marsden applications and outpatient information and enable the Trust’s clinicians to access data securely from remote locations.

The Sir William Rous Unit at Kingston Hospital is jointly run by Kingston, The Royal Marsden and Macmillan Cancer Support.

The company says that sensitive patient information can remain secure at all times because the system is designed with security layers based on levels of user access and device recognition. This also means the Trust will meet NHS security targets.

The Trust has had plans for a remote access system in place for a while, but a fire at one of the Trust’s sites in January 2008, where surgeons needed to access information from nearby hospitals, accelerated the process.

The system will initially be used by 30 people and the Trust aims to have 150 live users over the next three years.

“Previously, enabling healthcare professionals at new sites such as Kingston to have access to Royal Marsden applications was a time-consuming, complex and arduous process. By working in close partnership with Centralis, we’ve been able to create a secure remote environment that enables clinicians to have access to the applications they require, but at the same time enforce the highest level of security for confidential patient records,” said Jon Reed, director of information communication technology, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust.