iPad and computer screenPaperless healthcare is the cornerstone of the UHS digital strategy, the NHS long term plan and NHS X.

Historically UHS used a health records library to store patient notes handwritten on paper. The library stored nearly 1 million patient records and cost £1.35M per year to run.

The eDMS, Electronic Document Management System project, needed to remove the dependence on paper health records and save the trust library storage costs.

A clinically led steering group advised UHS digital to correctly link the medical notes to the appropriate patient record.  A combination of bar codes linked the medical notes with patient records. The patient records were indexed using the date, time and details of the patient’s encounter at the trust. Scanning the bar code allowed the eDMS software to correctly index the document.

eDMS has seen a transformational change for all staff at UHS who use health records. As a result patient notes can be seen at a single point of access and viewed simultaneously, at any time, in any location, by multiple users across the Trust.

The eDMS system and it’s data is secure, with confidentiality codes in place to protect sensitive information.

"Using eDMS in the Clinical Oncology Lung Clinic has really enabled me to manage my time better. Invariably my clinic would be finished & I would have to carry stacks of notes back to my office. I don’t have to do this now. I can log onto any computer at UHS & access my documents to complete." Claire Marsh, Chemotherapy Nurse Practitioner