OXFORDSHIRE’S hospitals are reportedly being plagued with delays after a new £15.7m computer system was launched on the quiet, the Oxford Mail can reveal.

Hospital chiefs had said on November 25 they were postponing implementing the new Electronic Patient Record (EPR) system at the John Radcliffe, Churchill and Horton hospitals because of “backroom issues”, only to start it unannounced at the weekend. The system led to up to 10 ambulances queueing up outside accident and emergency at the John Radcliffe at the weekend as staff struggled to book patients in.

Patients also had appointments overrun by hours, leading to Oxford University Hospitals Trust suspending its parking charges “until further notice”.

One patient said the JR was in “meltdown”, although the trust denied this.

A spokesman claimed “only a small number of patients were affected” but then admitted there was no precise figure on delays.

The database is designed to contain patient records including medical history, details of past operations and appointments all on to one system.

Ahead of the introduction, the Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) trust, which runs the three sites, warned of ‘minor delays’ but promised the system would make things better for everyone in the long run.

One staff member said there up to 10 ambulances queuing outside the JR and added: “Staff are undertrained and unprepared for this switch over, it is not their fault.”

Graham Smith, of High Wycombe, took son Trevor, 13, to the John Radcliffe Hospital for a routine check on his broken foot.

He said: “We were left waiting for hours. And the woman next to me had been waiting until 3pm for an 8.15am appointment.

“The system basically isn’t working so staff simply cannot do anything. It’s meltdown.”

John Woodcock has been calling the John Radcliffe since Friday to book an appointment for an important stomach examination.

The 75-year-old from Kidlington said: “I just can’t get through.

“It gives you the option of leaving a message for someone to get back to you, and no one has.

“I’m not angry for me, but I am for the other patients.”

The OUH spokesman said staff were working extremely hard for patients.

A spokesman said: “We’re sorry that some patients who had clinic appointments on Monday morning did experience longer waits than we would normally expect.

“We’ve been monitoring the situation and things have already improved.

“We had anticipated that there may be delays while staff got used to the new system, and where possible we informed patients in advance that this may be the case.

“We have also sought to minimise any inconvenience by providing free car parking during the first few days of implementation.

“We’re very grateful for the patience and understanding people have shown.

“We apologise if patients do experience delay but our staff are working really hard and we are positive about the benefits that the new system will bring in the long-term.”