Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason there is no single centralised system for holding NHS records; and whether she plans to introduce such a system.

On 24 February 2022, we announced a target for 90% of National Health Service trusts to have an electronic patient record (EPR) in place by December 2023, increasing to 100% by March 2025. Individual trusts have different requirements and work directly with suppliers to customise systems and procure EPRs to meet local needs.

The NHS is also piloting digital platforms to increase productivity and reduce the need for patients to repeatedly share information, by enabling clinicians and managers to manage waiting lists and improve theatre use. This will combine data from organisations within an integrated care system to assist planning and population health management and will be federated to national and regional levels. The platform will not replace existing local systems and will be used in conjunction with existing assets to support collaboration and innovation.