debates/debates2025-07-22d conversation_6
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-07-22)

UK Parliament Hansard data: debates/debates2025-07-22d conversation_6

Gareth Snell:What steps his Department is taking to improve electronic patient record systems in the NHS. \p Karin Smyth: My hon. Friend will know that trusts have responsibility for securing—using the approved procurement framework—an appropriate electronic patient record system that delivers all the core capabilities set out in the digital capabilities framework. Since 2022, £1.9 billion has been invested in digital transformation, including in the roll-out of EPRs to NHS trusts that do not have one and in support to optimise existing ones. \p Gareth Snell: The Minister will be aware that my hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Leigh Ingham) and I have been working on a replacement system for the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust in north Staffordshire, which would improve public and patient experience, and productivity, at those hospitals. Will the Minister meet us so that we can consider how further to unlock that funding to improve productivity and patient experience in good time? \p Karin Smyth: I commend my hon. Friend, and our hon. Friend the Member for Stafford (Leigh Ingham), for their diligent work with their trust and local system. Progress is being made on that EPR, which will have huge benefits. I will ensure that he has a clear outline of progress to the final planned operating of the go-live date for that issue. I am happy to meet him. \p Mike Martin: Blocked beds cost Pembury hospital £18,000 every night, yet discharge teams have to manually phone care homes to place people there. My constituent Debbie has created a dashboard—it is basically like Skyscanner—to accelerate discharges by matching discharged patients to care beds. It has already received seed funding of £200,000 from Kent county council, and could save up to £7 million a year in Pembury alone. Will the Minister meet me and Debbie to discuss that idea? \p Karin Smyth: The hon. Gentleman highlights the serious problem of staff operating in an analogue age in the NHS, which we keenly highlighted in the 10-year plan. We want to move the system into a more digital age. We would be very happy to hear more about the scheme that he outlines and the great work that staff are doing to get over some of the problems that they are working with. \p Julie Minns: My constituent Lee Armstrong contacted 111 when he was suffering from an Addisonian crisis. Lee and his partner provided full details about his condition to 111, and when his condition worsened, they called 999, but what neither Lee nor his partner knew was that the electronic record details given to 111 would not be available to 999, and neither would his patient records. As a result, the ambulance was not dispatched with the urgency required and Lee died. Will the Minister set out how the improvements in the digitisation of electronic records will cover the integration of the 111 and 999 services so that lives like Lee’s can be saved? \p Karin Smyth: My hon. Friend outlines a horrific case in her constituency, where she has been a fantastic campaigner since last year. Information sharing between 111 and 999 already exists in many places. We want standards in place to ensure that that happens safely across the country. That is a key part of what we are trying to do in our 10-year plan by bringing together single patient records and records within systems. I am very happy to follow up with her in more detail on the case she mentions, if that would be helpful. \p Edward Morello: Many GPs say that their buildings are not fit for purpose and lack digital infrastructure. Without fully integrated electronic patient records and better systems, including the electronic prescription service across all hospitals and community  trusts, we risk wasting time and money while increasing pressure on frontline staff. Will the Minister outline the steps being taken to full integrate the electronic prescription service across all settings in Dorset? \p Karin Smyth: The hon. Member highlights the importance of getting this right not only from hospital to discharge but, crucially, in primary care, where 90% of patient contacts happen across the system. That is why a central plank of our 10-year plan has been moving the entire system from the analogue to the digital age. We have allocated £10 billion, particularly in this spending review, to address this issue and make sure we get this right for the system and for patients.