Dorset Care Record helps consultant treat renal patients across the county

Ease of access in seeing current and repeat prescriptions on the Dorset Care Record when treating renal patients is making a real difference for Dorset County Hospital consultant nephrologist Dr Paul Murray.

Paul trained at the University of Southampton’s Medical School, graduating in 2000, before moving to Dorchester for his first job.  Specialist training in renal and general medicine followed in Exeter and Bristol. He took up a post as consultant nephrologist at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust in 2011, staying for three and a half years, before returning to Dorset. Since then, Paul has been a consultant kidney doctor at Dorset County Hospital, where he is also the Foundation Year 2 Programme Director, supervising training of trainee doctors.

Paul’s interest in renal medicine was sparked by his father who was a consultant in the Isle of Man and ran the Island’s dialysis unit. Specialists from Liverpool used to come over and attend visiting clinics on the Isle of Man.

“I was interested in how different diseases affect the kidney, often those where the immune system is to blame,” he says.

Paul sees around a dozen patients at each of his four or five clinics a week at Dorchester and also spends sessions at Poole Dialysis Centre, a satellite unit at Tower Park overseeing 100 patients receiving blood dialysis. He says the Dorset Care Record is providing real benefits in his day to day work: “Having ease of access to see current and repeat prescriptions is extremely useful.”

“People often remember to bring their prescriptions to our clinics but sometimes they bring piles of paper dating back years. Often when asked people will say their doctors say their blood pressure is ok but what is ok to some may be different for me.”

Paul adds that patients coming to him pre-dialysis are offered vaccination against the hepatitis B virus.

“The problem we’ve had in the past is what has happened regarding patient vaccination history and whether the immunisation has worked. The Dorset Care Record enables me to see when and which vaccine they’ve had – very useful – as patients, understandably, tend not to have a clear recollection.”

He is looking forward to the advent of Single Sign On (SSO) for the DCR, which be believes will make his work more efficient.

“Currently, we have our own DCH system, a specialist renal system and the DCR, so having SSO will make a difference.”

As programme director for trainee doctors he is keen to show the benefits of the DCR, adding that he believes it will be very useful particularly when treating elderly people with multiple diagnoses. DCH currently has just under 100 health professionals so far trained and using the DCR system.