The Centricity Cardio Workflow (CCW) system has now gone live across the Trust, connecting cardiology teams at Southmead Hospital with the Bristol Heart Institute and Weston General Hospital through a single patient record.
For the first time, clinicians can access key cardiology information in real time, regardless of where a patient has received their treatment. This gives teams a complete view of a patient's cardiac history, procedures and treatment information, helping them make informed decisions quicker.
In its first week, the new system supported 33 patients and 12 procedure lists.
The change is particularly significant because many patients receiving heart care are treated at more than one hospital. Previously, clinical teams often needed to request records, make phone calls between sites or wait for information to be transferred to help make decisions about care. Information is now available through one shared system, helping to improve continuity of care and reduce delays.
These benefits extend beyond cardiology services. Clinicians working in areas such as emergency care, acute medicine and maternity can more easily access specialist cardiac information when needed, supporting faster decision-making and better coordinated care.
Dr Shahid Aziz, Consultant Cardiologist and clinical lead for the project, said:
“This change has brought significant improvements in patient care – we now have the ability to share information across various hospitals for our heart patients by using the same digital system.
“It doesn’t matter which hospital in Bristol and Weston you’re in; healthcare professionals will be able to get access to your prior cardiac history so that they can make quicker decisions.”
Dr Richard Baker, Consultant Cardiologist, added:
“It's saving our colleagues valuable time and helping them plan the best care with their patients.
“Staff in our outpatient clinics and labs where cardiac procedures are carried out have easy access to the information they need, and care plans made after a device is fitted can be quickly viewed by inpatient ward teams, helping to support ongoing care and coordination between services.”
The system is also helping to support patient safety by improving the quality of information recorded during procedures and the management of information about cardiac devices, such as pacemakers. For staff working across different hospital sites, it creates more consistent and effective ways of working, reducing time spent on administrative tasks.
The launch marks an important milestone in BFT's journey to make care more seamless and equitable for patients since the Trust formed in July 2026. Cardiology was the first service to come together as a single team across Bristol and Weston, and colleagues have spent the past two years working collaboratively to improve care. The successful implementation of CCW reflects more than a year of partnership working between clinical, operational and digital teams to deliver the project.
As BFT continues to bring its services together to make improvements together, the successful launch of CCW provides a practical example of how technology and shared ambition can result in a real difference for patient care.